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Journalism Vocabulary

Handout 4: Newspaper Vocabulary
(Adapted from TAJE Journalism Curriculum Guide & Newspaper Curriculum Guide )

• 5W'S & H The essentials of any story: who, what, when, where, why, and how
• ADVERTSING Space in a publication sold to other businesses; display ads usually contain headlines, illustrations, copy, a call for action and information to identify the business
• ALIGNMENT Refers to the justification of text at its margins; left, right, centered, justified
• BEAT A specific area assigned to a reporter for regular coverage
• BOLD Type which appears darker than surrounding type of the same family; used for emphasis
• BY-LINE Indicates who wrote the story; often includes the writer's title
• CAPTION The portion of the layout which explains what is happening in a photograph. Also called cutlines. Often includes a photo credit.
• COLUMN A vertical division of layout which aids in giving structure to a page
• DOMINANT The largest photograph on a layout
• EDITOR Has overall responsibility for the publication
• EDITORIAL A type of story which serves to express an opinion and encourage the reader to take some action
• ETHICS A standard of conduct based on moral beliefs
• FACT A statement that can be proven. Not an opinion
• FEATURE A story written with some interpretation that goes beyond just reporting the facts
• FLAG The name of the paper that usually appears at the top of page one
• GRAPHICS The use of lines, screens, boxes, large initial letters etc. to enhance a design by breaking up areas
• GRID SYSTEM A system of layout in which the page is divided into small units which are filled in
• HAMMER A form of headline consisting of a few very large words over a smaller subheadline
• HEADLINE Large type designed to summarize a story and grab the reader's attention
• HUMAN INTEREST An element of news that includes people or events with which the audience can identify; stories that are just interesting
• INTERVIEW A question and answer session between a reporter and source to get information for a story
• INVERTED PYRAMID A style of writing most commonly applied to news stories in which the most important facts appear early in the story and less important facts later in the story
• KICKER A short (one or two word) statement at the beginning of a caption that serves to grab the reader's attention
• LEAD The beginning of the story which serves to summarize the story and/or grab the reader's attention
• LIBEL Written defamation; damaging false statements against another person or institution that are in writing or are spoken from a written script
• NEWS Information delivered about an event shortly after it has occurred
• OP-ED Opinion/Editorial; refers to the pages in a publication that express the opinion of the writer
• OPINION A statement which cannot be proven.
• QUOTATION A statement make by another person included in a published story. A direct quotation is exactly what the person said and appears inside quotation marks. An indirect quote is a paraphrase of what a person said and does not appear in quotes.
• REPORTER Person who researches and generally writes stories assigned by editors
• REVIEW A form of editorial written to comment on a play, movie, piece of music or some other creative work
• SANS SERIF Type with no extension at the letters which is easier to read at large sizes
• SERIF An extension at the end of certain letters which make the type easier to read at text sizes
• SLANDER Spoken defamation; damaging false statements against another person or institution that are spoken
• SPREAD Two facing pages that are designed as one unit
• STAFF BOX A box containing the names of the staff members
• STORY A block of text on a single topic beginning with some form of a lead followed by the body that contains quotations and transitions
• TEXT WRAP Adjusting the appearance of text to follow the shape of a graphic
• TRANSITION The portion of the story which helps the reader move from one point to the next: helps a story flow, adds information, and explains other items in the story
• UNDERLINE A smaller headline set under the main headline that is approximately the same length as the main headline
• WHITE SPACE The portion of a page with nothing on it used to draw a viewer into the other elements on the page

School Newspapers: Content and Staffing Questions

Here are a list of basic ingredients that will make for a well-rounded newspaper:

* News - This is the obvious. What is going on around school? Are there new construction projects or rules? What big events are happening in the different grades?
* Features - What human interest stories would appeal to the class body? They can be school-related but they can also be general stories that simply are important to students.
* Sports - Report the scores and stories. Don't try to give a play by play, just relate the highlights and mention the names of those who made the outstanding plays.
* Editorial - Have the newspaper's editor write about whatever is being talked about in school the most that week. Don't be afraid to give opinions but be clear that it is strictly one person's viewpoint.
* Reviews - What is the hit new movie, TV, or best-selling book and what does the reporting student think about it? Thumbs up or thumbs down plus explain why.
* Polls - From "What do you plan to do after graduation?" to "What is the worst food in the cafeteria?"
* Puzzle Corner - Students love to do word puzzles: either mini crosswords, word searches, or even trivia questions.
* Comic Strip - Let the artist on the staff create their own cartoon. Possibly "The Life of a Student" or something the kids can relate to.
* Poem - Run a poem each issue - either something made up by the staff or a poem submitted by a reader.
* Advice Column - Let readers ask questions (anonymously) and call upon the school counselor to help answer them. Or have a range of answers given by a counselor, a student, a teacher, and a parent.
* Spotlight On - Highlight one person a week by putting their photo in the paper and giving basic info about them, such as likes and dislikes, hobbies, etc. And don't forget a quote! The person can be a student, teacher, janitor, cafeteria worker, etc.
* Letters to the Editor - A good newspaper generates feedback. Print letters that come in to the staff and let other readers know what people are thinking.
* Photos - Make the newspaper more personal by showing pictures of what you are discussing, shots of the athletes in action, and so forth.

the inverted pyramid

The inverted pyramid is a metaphor used by journalists and other writers to illustrate the placing of the most important information first within a text. It is a common method for writing news stories and is widely taught to journalism students.The "inverted" or upside-down "pyramid" can be thought of as a simple triangle with one side drawn horizontally at the top and the body pointing down. The widest part at the top represents the most substantial, interesting, and important information the writer means to convey, illustrating that this kind of material should head the article, while the tapering lower portion illustrates that other material should follow in order of diminishing importance. It is sometimes called a "summary news lead" style,^[1] or "Bottom Line Up Front" or BLUF.^[2]
The format is valued because readers can leave the story at any point and understand it, even if they don't have all the details. It also allows less important information at the end, where it can be removed by editors so the article can fit a fixed size - that is, it can be "cut from the bottom".^[3]
Other styles are also used in news writing, including the "anecdotal lead," which begins the story with an eye-catching tale or anecdote rather than the central facts; and the Q&A, or question-and-answer format.

Staffing /History of Rochester articles

This class, we'll try to build our staff. So, start thinking about what role you want to play on our SOTA school newspaper online. We'll talk about staff positions and the different sections of the newspaper and what they do.  Then try to form a staff for this year's Sotacrat and Chronicle online.


The Ideal High School Newspaper Staff

Some positions are obvious. Every high school newspaper needs an editor. One, and in some cases, two people must be responsible for the overall newspaper. Beyond the editor, each staff has a great deal of flexibility in how it shapes itself. Common positions are:

Managing editor – The managing editor helps the editor make content decisions for the newspaper. The managing editor also takes the leading role with the design and appearance of the newspaper.

Opinion or Editorial Editor – The opinion or editorial page editor writes the editorials and edits letters to the editor. This person is also responsible for setting the agendas at editorial board meetings and leading the discussions to help the staff come to an agreement about what position it will take on key issues. The opinion or editorial page editor can also be responsible for designing and building the editorial page or pages of the newspaper.

Sports Editor – The sports editor is responsible for all sports news. Depending on the size of the staff, the sports editor may write these stories himself or herself, or he or she may assign others to write them. The sports editor can also be responsible for designing and building the sports page or pages of the newspaper.

News Editor – Depending upon the size of a staff, some newspapers designate a person to be the news editor. At some daily newspapers, this position serves the same function as the metro or city editor. This person is the point person for all news at the school, making assignments for coverage and then giving a first read to all copy.

Copy Editor – Again, depending upon the size of a staff, some newspapers have one person who serves as the copy editor for the paper. This person reads all stories, helps write headlines, cutlines and proofs all pages before they are printed.

Photo/Graphics Editor – One person must serve the same function for photos as the news editor or editor serves for copy. The photo editor is in charge of all graphics and photographs for the newspaper. Depending upon the size of the staff, this person may be able to assign people to shoot photos or design graphics, or he or she may have to do it by himself or herself.

Reporters – The lifeblood of any newspaper is the people who go out, gather the news and come back and write it. School newspapers should have as many reporters as possible on staff. Assigning them beats and coverage areas is a great way to ensure that school news is being covered adequately.

Advertising manager – One or more people must be designated to sell and produce advertisements for your newspaper.

Critical Thinking About Journalism: A High School Student’s View

By Lucy Chen

Lucy Chen created a quiz to test critical thinking skills learned in the News Literacy Project. Click to enlarge »

In the spring of 2009, as I was daydreaming about warm weather and the smacking of flip-flops on the boardwalk, I was jolted back into reality by the RELATED ARTICLE
"News Literacy Project: Students Figure Out What News and Information to Trust"
- Alan C. Millerstart of a new unit in my Advanced Placement U.S. government class—the News Literacy Project. My teacher promised that it would be interesting and entertaining. I doubted him.

I was wrong; it was fun and fascinating. We learned a lot about topics such as the importance of accurate news reporting, the implications of the First Amendment’s protection of free speech for journalists and ordinary citizens, guidelines for finding trustworthy information, and the challenges of living in a digital world. It was almost easy to pay attention because the lessons directly related to my life, my decisions, and my observations of the world around me.

Journalists came to speak with us, and they reinforced our learning by relating what we were studying to their own careers. Instead of reading a worksheet, we heard from Mark Halperin, a book author and political analyst for Time, who gave us examples of how the First Amendment has protected his work. Pierre Thomas from ABC News responded to our questions about the daily responsibilities and tasks of journalists. Thomas Frank of USA Today showed us how he uses primary source documents in reporting.

Interacting with these journalists changed how I view the process of gathering information. Now I appreciate a lot more the hard work that goes into digging for news. These speakers described the responsibility they have to report the facts accurately and objectively, a task that is much more difficult than I thought it was. Sometimes people won’t talk to reporters. At other times, figuring out exactly what happened turns out to be quite complicated. But a journalist’s job is to find the information they need, decipher it, and convey a story coherently.

Occasionally, I had watched the evening news with my parents and read the newspaper, but I never fully realized the impact that news had on my daily life. And studying news literacy taught me how to gather and assess my own stream of information, whether it comes from a newspaper, a TV show, or the Internet.

Throughout this process, I grew more skeptical about the facts I read or hear, especially those I find online, where anyone can post information about anything. The guidelines presented in the unit helped me determine whether a source was accurate and reliable—and knowing this made me better at selecting information in an ever-widening sea of sources. More student projects from the News Literacy Project are showcased in the video “Students as Teachers.”

For my final project, I created a fun quiz that asked several questions based on critical thinking skills I had learned. The questions I used are ones I felt would help to judge a person’s ability to select credible sources and reliable information, especially on popular Web sites that my peers visit frequently. One key aspect of my project is using common sense and not taking every fact online for granted. If something sounds too good to be true or if it sounds fake—it probably is. Based on the answers chosen, the quiz taker would be described as either a “silly” or “savvy” news consumer.
For further resources on this topic, see "News Literacy" in our Digital Library »
In addition to expanding my interest in journalism, the News Literacy Project taught me lessons that are proving to be useful in my English class, my interactions with people, and my daily newsgathering. And I knew they would be helpful in my first job. In fact, they already are. This spring I joined the staff of our high school paper.

Lucy Chen will be a junior at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland. She works on the school paper, The Black & White. Videos about her project and those of other students are online at YouTube.

The Sources of News/ Rochester history Article

Goals for Understanding:

• What are sources of news?
• What is news?
• What are the elements of news?
• What is the language of the journalism profession?
• Why is it important to use newspaper terminology?
• What factors determine how articles are placed on the front page?
• Does the placement of a story affect the reader's response to it?
• In addition to news stories, what other information is included on the front page?
• What is the significance of placement?

Activites

Day 1: Definitions and Sources of News

• Motivational Activity: Each day people throughout the world depend on newspapers, television, radio news, and personal interactions to keep up with global, national, regional, and local events. Consider your own news sources. How do you learn about what is happening? Complete Handout 1: My Personal News Sources.

• Partner share of results followed by class discussion about various sources of news used by students. Additional questions to consider:
  • Which of the sources is most accurate/reliable?
  • Which is most entertaining?
  • Why are people interested in getting news?
• Pose question: What is news? Create a definition. Brainstorm and chart ideas on board.
• Read and discuss
  
  • Handout 2: What is News? Reinforce/expandstudent suggested definitions. Continue discussion with News Elements: Concepts that Make News News (adapted from ForJournalism Teachers Only)
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• For homework, complete Handout 3: What is News?Assignment adapted from Making News: An Introduction to Journalism by John R. Harrold and Lois A. Stanciak

50 Objects

Welcome back, Creative Writing sophomores!

Today, we're going to explore some basic elements of a news story by doing a web search.

Go to http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/category/6-qs-about-the-news/

Post your own comment about an object that represents Rochester and a picture on this blog.

Read through the NY Times 50 objects article and see if you can answer all the questions.  You can work with a partner.

Good luck!