The document discusses Idasa, an African democracy institute based in South Africa. It has nine programs covering areas like community empowerment, economic governance, and media and communications. Idasa's Media@Idasa program manages the organization's communications strategy through publishing, e-communications, radio programs, and training. The document then provides guidance on engaging with the media, including how to write press releases, newspaper articles, and produce a newsletter. It also discusses copyediting and Idasa's specific communications strategy of using a "buddy system" and "electronic whiteboard" to collect and share information.
This document provides an overview of press relations and the media landscape, including:
- Defining the term "media" and the different types of media outlets.
- Explaining what a "beat" is and how different outlets organize their coverage.
- Describing how news bureaus and desks are structured within media organizations.
- Outlining the major types of media including print, broadcast, wire services, newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and the web.
- Providing tips on developing a communications plan, identifying audiences and media targets, and pitching stories to reporters.
Messages And Media - Educating And PersuadingThomas Müller
This document provides guidance on developing effective messages for advocacy. It emphasizes the importance of tailoring messages to specific audiences by understanding their priorities, values and concerns. Key recommendations include keeping messages simple, using real-life stories and quotes, presenting facts and numbers creatively, and framing issues in a way that assigns responsibility and proposes solutions. The document also stresses pre-testing messages with focus groups to ensure they are understood and persuasive to intended audiences beyond just advocates. Framing issues strategically and crafting tailored messages for different stakeholders are essential to effective advocacy communication and outreach.
Comparative study between print media & electronic mediaTabish Ahmed
The document is a market research report on comparing print and electronic media for advertising. It analyzes data collected through surveys of 100 respondents. Key findings include that 58% of respondents prefer electronic media for advertising, and 68% have purchased something after seeing an electronic ad. The report concludes electronic media is generally better for advertising among younger age groups, while print media still influences some consumers more. It provides suggestions like targeting young executives to promote electronic media advertising.
The Message Gap Analysis study explored 158 messages delivered by 16 companies around the world to understand how accurately company messages are conveyed in the media. The study revealed a 48% gap between the messages a company communicates and the message conveyed by the media. The gap is even bigger between a company’s message and bloggers’ messages (69%).
This document provides guidance for statistical organizations on communicating effectively with the media. It discusses organizing communication units with staff experienced in both statistics and journalism to develop media strategies. Statistical organizations should understand media needs and build relationships with journalists. They must also consider policies around pre-releasing data to media, monitoring media coverage, designating spokespeople, and handling requests from media and government. Having dedicated communication staff and training statistical staff in basic media relations principles can help statistical organizations disseminate data to inform public debate through the news media.
The document provides an overview of media relations, including defining different types of media outlets and journalists, how media outlets are organized, and tips for getting press coverage. It describes common media outlets like newspapers, television, radio, and websites/blogs. It also explains how to develop a communications plan, identify target audiences, and pitch stories to reporters.
This document provides guidance on presenting statistics through visualization techniques. It discusses why visuals are important for communication and some key principles of effective visualization. Visualization techniques can include tables, charts, maps and other emerging methods. The document emphasizes presenting data in a clear, concise and simple manner tailored to the target audience to help them understand complex statistical concepts and relationships. It also stresses the importance of evaluating how audiences interact with and interpret statistical releases to ensure effective communication.
This document provides guidance on writing statistical stories that make data meaningful for readers. It discusses what constitutes a statistical story and why statistical agencies should tell stories about their data. The document offers tips on finding a story in the data, writing in an engaging journalistic style, crafting an attention-grabbing lead paragraph and headline, and using plain language, short sentences and other techniques to maximize reader understanding and retention of the information. The goal is to inform the public about important issues and trends revealed in the data in a way that is easy to understand and remember.
This document provides an overview of press relations and the media landscape, including:
- Defining the term "media" and the different types of media outlets.
- Explaining what a "beat" is and how different outlets organize their coverage.
- Describing how news bureaus and desks are structured within media organizations.
- Outlining the major types of media including print, broadcast, wire services, newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and the web.
- Providing tips on developing a communications plan, identifying audiences and media targets, and pitching stories to reporters.
Messages And Media - Educating And PersuadingThomas Müller
This document provides guidance on developing effective messages for advocacy. It emphasizes the importance of tailoring messages to specific audiences by understanding their priorities, values and concerns. Key recommendations include keeping messages simple, using real-life stories and quotes, presenting facts and numbers creatively, and framing issues in a way that assigns responsibility and proposes solutions. The document also stresses pre-testing messages with focus groups to ensure they are understood and persuasive to intended audiences beyond just advocates. Framing issues strategically and crafting tailored messages for different stakeholders are essential to effective advocacy communication and outreach.
Comparative study between print media & electronic mediaTabish Ahmed
The document is a market research report on comparing print and electronic media for advertising. It analyzes data collected through surveys of 100 respondents. Key findings include that 58% of respondents prefer electronic media for advertising, and 68% have purchased something after seeing an electronic ad. The report concludes electronic media is generally better for advertising among younger age groups, while print media still influences some consumers more. It provides suggestions like targeting young executives to promote electronic media advertising.
The Message Gap Analysis study explored 158 messages delivered by 16 companies around the world to understand how accurately company messages are conveyed in the media. The study revealed a 48% gap between the messages a company communicates and the message conveyed by the media. The gap is even bigger between a company’s message and bloggers’ messages (69%).
This document provides guidance for statistical organizations on communicating effectively with the media. It discusses organizing communication units with staff experienced in both statistics and journalism to develop media strategies. Statistical organizations should understand media needs and build relationships with journalists. They must also consider policies around pre-releasing data to media, monitoring media coverage, designating spokespeople, and handling requests from media and government. Having dedicated communication staff and training statistical staff in basic media relations principles can help statistical organizations disseminate data to inform public debate through the news media.
The document provides an overview of media relations, including defining different types of media outlets and journalists, how media outlets are organized, and tips for getting press coverage. It describes common media outlets like newspapers, television, radio, and websites/blogs. It also explains how to develop a communications plan, identify target audiences, and pitch stories to reporters.
This document provides guidance on presenting statistics through visualization techniques. It discusses why visuals are important for communication and some key principles of effective visualization. Visualization techniques can include tables, charts, maps and other emerging methods. The document emphasizes presenting data in a clear, concise and simple manner tailored to the target audience to help them understand complex statistical concepts and relationships. It also stresses the importance of evaluating how audiences interact with and interpret statistical releases to ensure effective communication.
This document provides guidance on writing statistical stories that make data meaningful for readers. It discusses what constitutes a statistical story and why statistical agencies should tell stories about their data. The document offers tips on finding a story in the data, writing in an engaging journalistic style, crafting an attention-grabbing lead paragraph and headline, and using plain language, short sentences and other techniques to maximize reader understanding and retention of the information. The goal is to inform the public about important issues and trends revealed in the data in a way that is easy to understand and remember.
The document discusses various aspects of public relations and communication skills. It defines public relations as a planned and sustained effort to establish mutual understanding between an organization and its publics. It outlines techniques for communicating messages and engaging with the public through media, press releases, interviews, and other channels. The key aspects covered are developing clear messages, disseminating messages through media, preparing for and conducting press conferences and interviews, and reviewing the outcomes.
This is a training designed for startups and growth companies to better understand what media is about today.The division of media into earned, bought and own media can help you understand what you can do, where and how. The series in NewCo Helsinki Entepise Center is fully booked on Event Brite, but there are two more lectures to come. Do no hesitate to contact me on LinkedIN, I am a LION and will except your invitation to connect.
The mononews e-Guide to the Lifestyle Press Release* provides a comprehensive summary, with clear and actionable steps, to produce the best possible lifestyle press release for today’s environment
Club melbourne science in public conference media guide 2013Jemma Ralphs
This document provides guidance on developing and implementing an effective media program for a conference. It outlines 6 key steps: 1) planning objectives and budget, 2) identifying compelling stories and speakers, 3) building pre-event buzz, 4) setting up necessary infrastructure like a media room, 5) being available during the event to service media demands, and 6) capturing and sharing results. It also provides examples from past successful conference media programs that generated hundreds of news stories and interviews.
This document discusses the history of media convergence and provides strategies for public affairs teams to effectively converge their communications efforts across multiple media platforms. It outlines how traditional media have blended over time and defines media convergence as merging the capabilities of individual media to provide information to targeted audiences. Examples are given of integrating communications planning, production, and assessment across web, print, video, and other formats to ensure coordinated messaging.
In this interconnected, increasingly transparent and dynamic context, customers demand that organisations understand how to build internally- driven authentic and ethical corporate brands. And these brands must embrace influence from stakeholders and co-creation. Students will learn how to lead the building process for a strong and enduring corporate brand that gives focus to the entire organisation, and aligns its diverse stakeholders towards sustained value creation.
The document outlines many elements of an effective public relations program, including developing media lists, creating press kits, issuing different types of press releases, conducting media training, becoming a trusted source for media, and utilizing additional tactics like public service announcements, op-eds, and webcasts. The goal of a PR program is to increase an organization's credibility, attract quality prospects through favorable media coverage, establish the organization as an important player in its field, and help tell its story in a cost effective manner. An effective PR plan requires consistent hard work over time to implement these various elements.
Media Outreach is a global provider of multimedia platforms that enables companies to leverage content to engage audiences across traditional, digital, mobile and social channels. It pioneered commercial news distribution 10 years ago. Today, it provides end-to-end solutions to produce, optimize, distribute and measure content reaching over 15,000 journalists across India. Media Outreach serves hundreds of clients from offices in India and Asia-Pacific through comprehensive workflow tools and the largest multi-channel network in India.
Content seeding involves strategically distributing positive information online when needed to shape perceptions. This document discusses how search engines rely heavily on current real-time information, and how 80% of searches are informational with 75% of online readers believing information even without knowing the source. It also summarizes a case study where a multilingual, multichannel strategy helped grow tourism to Iceland by 20% after a volcanic eruption disrupted flights. The strategy leveraged platforms like Google, YouTube, Facebook and blogs to distribute new positive content about Iceland in 7 languages.
Step-by-Step Guides to Strategic Media Relations by Hoem SeihaHoem Seiha
The primary goal of Media Relations is to garner positive publicity for an organization’s mission, policies, and practices.
Media relations refers to the connection between an organization and journalists.
Public relations extends beyond the media to the general public.
The role of media has become one way of trading and marketing of products and prejudices. The media claimed to be governed by righteousness and equity, but greed and self-aggrandizement has poisoned its virtues. Media is in charge of major roles in providing :
information
education and advocacy
entertainment
advertising
correlation of parts of society
Social Media for Local Government CanadaCentricity360
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The document provides information about print media in India, including:
1. It discusses the history and importance of print media in India, noting that print has been an important form of mass communication since the 15th century.
2. It describes the major characteristics of print media, including production time, frequency of distribution, and common types like newspapers, magazines, and fliers.
3. It explains the importance of print media in Indian democracy, noting its role in generating democratic culture and serving as a watchdog on those in power.
4. It discusses ownership and control of print media in India, including government, private, and political party ownership models.
The Media represents a critical constituency for business. It must therefore be courted strategically in order to help attain organisational objectives.
Doing Advocacy Better With Social Media | IPS Africaipsnews
The document discusses how Inter Press Service (IPS) Africa uses new media tools like podcasts, social networks, and blogs to better engage with audiences and promote their content. It emphasizes understanding audience needs, such as which online platforms they use and what information they want. The document also provides tips for developing a new media plan, such as identifying the target audience, goals, and appropriate tools. It stresses measuring the success of new media strategies through audience feedback and analytics.
The document provides guidance on creating a public relations plan to promote a local lithography club. It discusses conducting a situation analysis to understand strengths, weaknesses and perceptions. It also recommends establishing measurable objectives and identifying target audiences. The plan should shape the club's desired image and use tools like news media and events to effectively reach audiences. Guidelines are provided for developing publicity, working with media, and implementing the communications plan.
Producers target audiences to maximize profits from media texts. As technology fragments audiences across multiple platforms, measuring audience sizes and profiling their demographics and psychographics becomes increasingly important. Producers categorize audiences into mass or niche groups and research audience demographics like age, income, and lifestyles to tailor content and place targeted advertisements that appeal to specific audience types. Understanding audience profiles allows producers to effectively engage their target viewers.
Seeding the Conversation: How to listen learn and respond with content that w...Online Marketing Summit
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Once you have a good story and a content strategy, how do you get those stories picked up in the news, blogged about, bookmarked and shared by the right people across the social web? This discussion will encompass everything from Social Media Press Releases to Analytics of pickup and beyond.
* Paolina Milana, EVP, Marketing/Media/Editorial Operations, Marketwire
* Linda Zimmer, CEO, MarCom:Interactive
* Sally Falkow, President, PRESSfeed
This document provides guidance on effective and ineffective word usage in crisis communications and news releases. It discusses common word usage mistakes to avoid, such as confusing stationary and stationery. It also covers punctuation and grammar mistakes. Effective quotes are described as being simple, visual, and aspirational. The document warns against using words that could be used against you by the media. It provides tips for crafting statements and news releases, including using simplicity, brevity, credibility, and consistency. Industry examples of redefining perception through language are given. The document also offers guidance on communicating with employees, unions, and the media.
Effective science communication in contemporary research environmentILRI
Presented by Karembu M., Nguthi F., Wafula D., Odhong’ J.A., Ecuru J., Ozor N., Urama K., Acheampong E., Opati L., Komen J., Virgin I., Gasingirwa M., Selassie T., Abebe A., Omari J., Chuwa P. and Nyange N. at the First Bio-Innovate Regional Scientific Conference, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 25-27 February 2013
The document provides tips for writing effective press releases, including making them newsworthy, concise, fact-based, and tailored for both print and digital media. It emphasizes the importance of including multimedia components, social sharing tools, and maintaining relationships with journalists. Sample press releases are also included to demonstrate best practices.
Frederik van Zyl Slabbert, one of Idasa's founders, died on 14th May 2010.
Idasa has compiled a series of tributes in recognition of the work of van Zyl Slabbert.
Van Zyl, as he was fondly known, represented a living embodiment of active citizenship as a South African and an African public intellectual. He made enormous contributions to democracy globally through, among others, founding the Institute for Democracy in Africa (Idasa) and being a critical part of the South African transition to democracy. His life was rooted in the values of social justice which guided his participation on an ongoing basis in considering what democracy is and how it should be lived by citizens of South Africa and other countries.
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See more at www.idasa.org
1. Engaging with the media
How to get our voices heard in the public arena
Opportunities for NGOs to engage with the media
2. Idasa as a case study
Idasa is an African democracy institute committed to building democratic
societies in Africa.
Mission statement:
Idasa is an independent public interest organization committed to promoting
sustainable democracy based on active citizenship, democratic institutions
and social justice.
4. Idasa comprises nine programmes:
1. Community and Citizen Empowerment Programme (CCEP)
2. Economic Governance Programme (EGP)
3. Governance and AIDS Programme (GAP)
4. Initiative for Leadership and Democracy in Africa (Ileda)
5. Political Information and Monitoring Service (PIMS)
6. Political Governance Programme (PGP)
7. Safety and Security Programme (SSP)
8. Southern African Migration Project (SAMP)
9. Media@Idasa
5. Media@idasa is responsible for managing the organisation’s
information strategy.
It does this through four areas of work:
1) The Publishing Department, which provides a comprehensive publishing
service to the organisation, producing a range of print media, including
books, promotional material, banners, flyers, posters, reports, academic
papers, occasional papers, newsletters and magazines for all of Idasa’s
programmes.
2) E-Communications, which is responsible for ensuring the exchange of
electronic information between the different programmes within Idasa,
maintaining the website and producing various electronic external
newsletters on Idasa’s work.
3) Democracy Radio, which is responsible for disseminating information
through the medium of radio. This project is currently working on a youth
development programme to bring together young people from different
community groups to produce radio dramas that deal with issues and themes
relevant to their daily lives.
4) Media for Democracy Training.
6. Our business is communication.
Our job is to communicate what Idasa is, what Idasa does and what Idasa
says to the world at large.
We promote Idasa’s profile - not just for the sake of it - but to participate in
the public debate, to encourage dialogue and discussion, and above all to
facilitate participation.
We believe that media - information - is essential to any democracy.
We understand democracy to be a citizen-centred political system, where
participation by active citizens in decision-making ensures the kind of
governance we want, and that addresses social justice, peoples’ needs and
redistribution.
Democracy is premised on active citizenship, and active, participative,
assertive citizens need to be educated and fully informed and engaged. That
is where media comes in – it is a tool to supply citizens with the information
they need to be critical, questioning, demand accountability and
transparency, and make their voices heard, the kind of citizens that learn
and exchange ideas, that demand and ask questions, and that enter into
debate.
7. Idasa’s Communication Strategy
Idasa’s communications strategy comprises two tools:
1) The Buddy System
This is a team of three people in our department who are mandated to
contact a network of staff members - each one has been allocated a few
strategic contacts - to find out what they are doing, where they are working,
who they are working with, who are their partners and funders, the aims and
objectives of their projects, and the obstacles and difficulties they face as
well as the achievements and lessons learned.
All this information needs to be shared with other people working in the
arena of democracy facilitation.
8. 2) The Electronic Whiteboard
This is a “storage bin” for all the information the team of Buddies collects.
9. Idasa’s Media Strategy
CCEP Insert drawing GAP whiteboard
EGP of elec iLEDA PGP PIMS SSP SAMP
Electronic White Board
Secondary Sources
Press Conference
Opinion Piece
Press Release
Social Media
Policy Briefs
Interviews
Media
Newspapers, Radio, TV, Internet
10. Media targets
Outlets to be used to engage with the media:
Newspapers
Radio - an announcements or programme, or an interview
Internet
Television
Media tools
press releases
opinion pieces/feature articles
policy briefs
interviews
secondary sources of information – pamphlets, books, articles, adverts,
banners, flyers, newsletters, policy briefs
press conferences, briefing, press breakfast/lunch
Electronic or social media
The importance of an effective contact list
Your most critical tool in media engagement is your media contact list.
There are two types of media contact list – use both simultaneously:
Targeted
Extensive
The two different types of contact lists can be compared to
a) fishing by casting the net as wide as it can go and
b) fishing strategically, with a carefully baited hook cast into carefully
chosen waters.
11. Press Tip Journalist Press Research Other
Releases Offs ideas Releases media
NEWS DESK
News conference
News diary
Journalist Specialist writers
12. The flow of news
News desk
News Story (gate keeping Sub-Editors – layout - proofing
/copy testing)
When you communicate with the media, your information, which is so
important to you, becomes one fish in a huge pool of information. Your news
has to compete with dozens, sometimes hundreds, of other pieces of
information being constantly supplied from diverse news sources. Therefore
it has to stand out and grab the editor’s attention in order to be selected for
publishing or broadcast.
Critical to the success of this is CONTACTS.
13. How to write a press release
What a press release is not –
A press release is not an advert
A press release is not a news, tv or radio story (don’t use too much detail)
A press release in not an in-depth article
It is RAW MATERIAL that you want newspapers, tv or radio to use in
an article or feature.
Aim - A press release is written for the purpose of promotion,
to get the media to report your particular message
It’s worth finding out about your targeted medium:
Deadlines
Language and style
Readership
Three things to remember when writing a successful press release:
1) Assume the journalists are lazy: do their work for them.
2) It must be newsworthy: the critical word here is “new”. The subject
matter must be topical and relevant. It usually needs a news angle, a peg to
hang the story on.
3) Above all be: Accurate. Reliable. Trustworthy. Don’t exaggerate. Resist
the temptation to blow up your work. Dramatic claims destroy your
credibility. Your reputation is on the line. Your contacts need to know that a
press release from you is reliable, trustworthy, accurate. The success of your
future press releases depends on ensuring your credibility and preserving
your integrity.
14. What to Remember When Writing a Press Release
1) Writing style
- You must report in the “third person”, be a reporter and report on yourself
or your work.
- Be accurate, don’t exaggerate.
-make sure your grammar and spelling is correct, especially if you cite
names. Errors in spelling and grammar will lower the credibility of your
press release and make the editor sceptical and less likely to use it.
- keep it short, leave out adjectives, descriptions and elaborations unless
they really are necessary. Don’t waste words, don’t try to write beautifully,
it’s not going to be used as is.
2) Length – keep it short, but not too short, not less than 250 words. Ideal
length is one or two pages. Longer, and they will be put off. Less, and it
looks insubstantial.
3) Appearance – Formatting your press release is just as important as
content.
- Make it neat.
- Do not use all upper case letters or exclamation marks to try to attract
attention. That looks frivolous. Don’t use a fancy font; if they have to
struggle to read it, it will be ignored. Just use 12 pt, Times Roman, with
spaces between paragraphs. Don’t add formatting or decoration.
- make it identifiable as yours. Use your logo
4). Distribute your release by email or fax
- make sure you have an accurate and up-to-date contact list
- Bear deadlines in mind
- use the subject line of an email or the cover sheet of a fax to grab the
editor’s attention.
- use formatting sparingly
-put the release in the body of the e-mail, not as an attachment.
15. The Format of a Press Release
1. Put the organisation logo at the top
2. Below that include the date. Without this you can cause confusion..
3. If the press release is for immediate release, write "FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE" in caps under the date. If the release is embargoed, put
"EMBARGOED UNTIL..." with the date you want the story released. A
release with no embargo date is presumed to be for immediate release. Make
sure there is no doubt about when you permit the release of this information.
It is useful to send a press release ahead of time to give journalists time to
follow up and write the story. Some radio reports or newspaper pages are
produced ahead of deadline eg the inside pages. Take advantage of this –
you will get more space and greater accuracy and detail.
4. Under the date write PRESS RELEASE, in uppercase and centred.
5. Headline
This is unlikely to be used as is in the newspaper. But you need it to grab the
editor’s attention. Make it short, punchy, to the point. Resist the desire to
make bold claims in the headline – it must be credible, reliable and
trustworthy.
How to write a headline: Simply don’t try. It’s going to be changed anyway.
Just note down the gist of your argument as briefly as possible.
Try and include a verb – otherwise it’s known as a label, which is non-
active.
Eg – Local NGO calls for commission of inquiry into government
spending on education
16. 6. Paragraph One
To ensure your press release is selected by the editor begin with a strong
introductory paragraph to hook him or her. Try to include the “Five W's” -
(W)ho, (W)hat, (W)hen, (W)here and (W)hy. Summarise the news release in
the first paragraph, including your main conclusion. Remember, the editor
may not read any further.
7. Subsequent paragraphs
- Help the journalist by saying who your organisation is (that way you have
more chance of it being reported correctly) and giving background
information.
- include quotes, but be sure the quotes are accurate, that the person you are
quoting knows what you will be using the quotes for, and that their name
(correctly spelled) and their title or designation is included.
8. Contact information
At the end of your press release rule a line and then add a paragraph giving
contact details so journalists can follow up the story.
Make sure these details are accurate and the person whose name you are
giving knows about this and is available and prepared to give comment.
Think carefully about whose contact details to include. Remember they
become the public face of your organisation. Use this as an opportunity to
project the profile of the organisation and ensure it is consistent with your
“corporate image”.
Contact details must include:
o The organisation’s name and description
o The name and designation of the person who can be contacted
o Their telephone and fax numbers with proper country/city codes
and extension numbers
o Their cell phone number
o Their times of availability, if possible
o Their e-mail ddresses
17. It’s also useful to add your web address. That encourages journalists to find
out more about your organisation; which may lead to further stories.
9. The convention is to end a press release with ### or ENDS.
Always remember that newsrooms are busy places. Journalists are
overworked and underpaid. If you can make life easier for them, you're more
likely to get coverage. If you write a press release that's close to the way the
editor will actually publish it, with minimal editing, the correct style and
accurate and reliable information, he or she is more likely to use it. Don’t
make it tempting for an editor to simply move on to the next press release.
If you see your press release in the newspaper with few changes, then you
will know you have succeeded in writing an effective press release.
18.
19.
20. How to write a newspaper article
Always start with the five w’s - who, what, when, where, and why.
All the important information must be in the opening paragraph because
most people do not read an entire newspaper article all the way through and
if it is too long it is often simply cut from the bottom.
Write your article in the shape of a triangle
Who, What, When, Why, How
Background information
Quotes
Supplementary
information
21. Writing style
-Assume nothing – your reader can easily discard information, but don’t
leave him or her with unanswered questions.
- Guess nothing – check and recheck your facts.
- Use quotes – they make your article more personable and give it a human
quality - but use them accurately.
- Add background information
- Remember a newspaper article is usually cut from the bottom up. So put
the least important information at the end.
- Colourful, descriptive language is inappropriate. Newspapers will not
waste space on adjectives and descriptions. It won’t make your writing or
broadcasting boring or dull; on the contrary, the best writing is sparse,
efficient, punchy. Every word must count.
-Your writing must be in the active tense. Avoid exaggeration and
hyperbole. Keep your sentences short and simple. There should be no more
than three sentences per paragraph.
- Remember the difference between reporting and comment. A report is
factual and supposed to be neutral and unbiased (and is normally written by
journalists), while a feature article or interview is the place for opinions and
arguments (and is usually written by an outside or specialist writer – or the
editor in the editorial which is clearly distinct from the news).
If you want to get something into the newspaper or onto the air it needs to be
NEWSWORTHY, ie about a current news story or event. To convince an
editor to use your piece, you usually need a news angle to peg it on. Don’t
let this constrain you too much. If you can’t think of an obvious or
immediate angle for your piece be imaginative. Release it on the day of a
relevant anniversary, or get comment from someone currently in the news,
or write it up as a campaign or a call for action. Remember when you phone
or email the editor to convince them to use your piece, they will only take it
if it is current and topical. They are in the business of news – they publish or
broadcast that which is NEW.
22. Copyediting
Newspaper copy editors are considered the newspaper's last line of defence.
Typically, copy editing involves correcting spelling, punctuation, grammar,
ensuring that the copy adheres to the publisher's house style and adding
headlines and standardized headers, footers, etc.
The copy editor is expected to ensure that the text flows, that it is sensible,
fair and accurate, and that it will provoke no legal problems for the
publisher.
The "Six Cs" summarise the copy editor's job: making the copy (i)clear,
(ii)correct, (iii)concise, (iv)comprehensible, (v)consistent and (vi)cutting it
to size, that is making it say what it means and mean what it says.
This is normally left to the professionals. It’s a skill that is learned and
honed over time. It also requires a certain personality type! An editor has to
be obsessive-compulsive to a degree. The editor has to fuss over the small
things.
Don’t try to edit your own work – it’s virtually impossible. You can’t easily
chop the limbs off your own offspring, and you can’t easily see its faults or
gaps. It is difficult for you to know what the reader doesn’t know, because
you are steeped in the subject matter.
There is a thin line between editing and re-writing. Editing is not writing
something the way you would like it to be written, or as you would have
written it. You can introduce errors that way and misinterpret what the writer
is trying to say. Really good editing is invisible, improve the copy in a way
that the writer cannot identify.
23. Hand your writing over to someone who knows how to edit. That said, it’s
useful to know how to make copy changes in case you need to. Below is a
standard, universal list of symbols that copyeditors use the world over – use
them and a typesetter or editor will know exactly what it is you want.
Insert An Insert Space
Apostrophe
Insert Brackets Paragraph
Capitalize No Paragraph
Close Up Parentheses
Colon Period
Insert Comma Question Mark
Delete Quotes
Delete And Semicolon
Close Up
Exclamation Spelling
Point
Hyphen Transpose
Insert STET (Let It
Stand)
The last symbol -- STET -- is the writer's friend. It means to leave the
material as the writer intended it and ignore the copyeditor's changes. You
will be surprised how often you need to use this.
24. Producing a newsletter
Ask yourself three questions:
– why do you want to produce a newsletter?
- who is it for? - this determines, language, style, length, subjects covered,
even the type of font used.
- how are you going to distribute it?
25. Use the model of the newsroom – it’s worked for years all over the world.
Twelve steps to producing a newsletter:
1. Start with a news meeting, to compile a list of things you want to cover.
2. Compile a news diary – and determine who can write or follow up each
item.
-Commission the work, and give a clear brief, even saying how many words
it must be.
-If you are going to pay the writer, establish the rate up front.
-You may have to provide background information and further direction in
the writing process.
-Remember to establish deadlines.
3. Decide on and track down illustrations – photos, drawings, etc.
-You may have to commission an artist or photographer.
4. Work out a flat plan – this is a plan of page layout.
-Based on how many words fit into a column, or a page or a cm of type,
decide what articles will go where and mark this on the page plan.
-It’s very important to choose your lead story very carefully.
-Pay attention also to what goes on the back page – often newsletters are left
lying around face down.
-Also decide which illustrations go where.
-Remember the old adage: a picture tells 1000 words. It’s worth spending
money to get a good photo from a professional photographer.
5. Draw up your budget.
-You may want to get funding from selling advertising.
-You may opt to produce only electronically or online – this is a much
cheaper option.
-If you do decide to print, now is the time to get quotes from about three
different printers. You can argue with your printer, and barter a better price.
You need to tell them the size of your page, how many pages, whether you
are printing in black and white or colour, how many copies you plan to print
and what kind of paper you want to use. Discuss deadlines with them – alert
them if you need it by a certain date and ask them how long they need to
print.
26. 6. When the articles have been written content edit them - read them
carefully for accuracy and to check they have complied with the brief.
-You have the right to ask authors to rework parts or even all of their
articles.
7. Now send the copy for professional copy editing.
-Resist the temptation to send it for copy editing before you are quite sure it
is finished. It does not save time, but usually takes longer, creates confusion
and runs the risk of error.
-The copy editor also writes the headings and captions.
8. You can lay out your newsletter in-house, using layout programmes in
word. However, if you can afford it, have the layout done professionally.
-You will also need to design your masthead and a page template for future
issues.
9. You will then get the proofs – in PDF or printed out. Proofing your
newsletter is the most important stage of all. You spot errors that you don’t
see on screen.
-Remember to print out a PDF and read the printed proof.
-Using copyeditors’ symbols, or your own, carefully and clearly write
correction on the proofs. These then go back to the typesetter.
10. Check your typesetter’s corrections. Make a last check to see you have
complied with your organisation’s requirements (eg must the logo be on the
front or back) and the legal requirements (eg are you required by law to
publish your name, address or other details, and are you required to have an
ISBN or ISSN which you normally get from the national library).
11). Your typesetter then sends a print-ready file by email or on disc or other
means to the printers for printing.
12). You get one last chance to check the publication – the printer should
give you printer’s proofs to sign off.
-Correct only inaccuracies and glaring errors; to introduce changes at this
stage is expensive and time-consuming.