Reporting Techniques & Qualities of a Reporter

Journalism is a very powerful calling through which one

can touch lives and bring about positive change if one
does a good job.
Who is a reporter or journalist? What is news? And what
is the skill set or the techniques required for doing the
job well. These are some of the questions that the
module shall be answering.

The Reporter:
Who is a reporter? We want to make it clear right-away
that a reporter is to a news organization what a brick is
to a mansion. The reporter’s job is to gather news. If he
is good at his job, he will do it with speed, clarity and
accuracy.
Speed is the very essence of a reporter’s job. News
delayed is no news.
Winston Churchill was a reporter and so was Ernest
Hemingway who covered the Spanish civil war.
And news, as we already know is any incidence which
has news value. Reporters look for and report news and
people on the Desk hone it to perfection so that readers
get that perfect news report in their newspaper every
day.

Qualities of a good reporter:

It would not be wrong to say that good reporters are the
heart of news gathering. Without good reporters, the
public wouldn't have the news and information essential
to running a democracy.
What are the qualities of a good reporter? Writing in the
Practice of Journalism, Maurice Fagence, a renounced
journalist who covered the second World War, says, “…
he needs the best qualities of a detective (as an
investigator), of a psychologist (for handling and
summing up people), and of a lawyer (for drawing logical
inferences from facts). He has to develop a certain
thinking processes called for by his special skill. It affects
his reading and his way of life. “

Some of the great reporters of the late twentieth century

not only provided excellent copy, they also were to some
extent responsible for making history. The Italian Luigi
Barzini was one of the journalists to protect the conduct
of war and write with truth and compassion. His report of
Japanese massacre at Port Arthur in 1894 caused the
Japanese to offer him a bribe to tone down his report but
he refused. American opinion was changed overnight due
to his reportage and he became a household name.

Some of the traits inherent to a good reporter include:

endless curiosity, commitment, a deep need to know
what is happening, the ability to hear a small clue and
follow it and the ability to sort out conflicting information.
Good reporters are also energetic and research savvy.

What are the other characteristics that make a journalist

'good'? Is journalism a "calling," or can anyone develop
news gathering and reporting skills?

Exploring a bit more, we find that in addition to the

above, a good reporter should also have an eye for the
news worthy and what the editor wants and should be
able to identify the hook in the report or the story, fast.
This means that he should be able to focus the story on
his own. He should be resourceful as well, which means
that he should chase a story in a creative manner,
without giving up.

What are the other qualities that you must have if you
want to be a reporter? Let’s look at some more of them.

There are nine attributes that one definitely needs to

have to be a good journalist. These are:

1. Being inquisitive

A good journalist is one who is nosey. Where did the

money for the project come from? Why is this politician
supporting this policy? Why are these construction
workers not wearing their head gear? A good journalist is
one who is curious and burns with the desire to know
what is going on in the world.
So, he must have a questioning mind. And ‘why’ should
be his most important question. He must endlessly
question about the "why" of the story. Then ask “How?”.
Some of the questions that should always be buzzing in a
good reporter’s brain are- Why is the person giving you
the information? How will the information affect the lives
of your readers?

2. Being a skeptic

A good journalist is one who doesn't take things on face

value. Press releases or information given to them from
people pushing for a certain agenda is only a starting
point for a good journalist. Good journalists question
sources and are always prepared to dig around until they
get facts they are satisfied with.

3. Being determined

A journalist knows the difficulty in finding information,

especially when certain people won't agree to be
interviewed. Nevertheless, he is determined to get over
the toughest hurdle and bring a difficult story out into the
open. What may start off seeming to be a simple news
story can require hard work and lots of determination.

4. Having a good grasp of general knowledge

A good journalist is one who knows something about

everything. They are well-informed news junkies
especially in the area of politics, current affairs and law.

There are plenty of ways to improve your general

knowledge, from watching TV quiz shows and doing the
newspaper quizzes to online searches, playing board
games or even using your local or school library to access
things like atlases, dictionaries and encyclopedias.

5. Being trustworthy

Journalists interact with people from all walks of life who

are often faced with an extreme crisis in their lives. It is a
good journalist's duty to know what to ask and when in
the most appropriate manner.

When people trust a journalist enough to give him

confidential or private information, it is his duty as a
journalist to not make that information publicly available.
The best journalist is one who has strong ethical and
moral codes of conduct that helps him determine what
information to write and what to leave out.

6. Developing a passion for accuracy

A good journalist is one who double- and even triple-

checks the spelling of names and gives the correct details
of the events that took place. Journalists need to have an
eye for detail and not be afraid to ask questions again
and again to ensure accuracy.

A "good" reporter is one that writes a story in such a way

that the reader cannot tell the position of the reporter.

7. Being motivated and enthusiastic

A good journalist is one who does not give up easily and

one who has thick skin. There will be times when a
journalist won't be able to find interesting stories to write
up, or people who are willing to talk to them. Regardless,
a good journalist maintains a high level of motivation
whatever the situation may be.

8. Developing good writing skills

Wherever a journalist may work, whether in print, radio,

TV or online, he has to write. Depending on the time
constraints, a good journalist is one who writes
articulately, succinctly and quickly in an interesting and
relevant way that appeals to readers.

9. Being responsible and fair

A good journalist is one who is able to take personal
responsibility for what they write. He must keep in mind
that there will be people who will be upset because they
disagree with the angle of the story or because they
wanted their story to be given more importance.

Either way, a journalist must be fair all the time and

maintain a level of objectivity in what they report.

What else?
The aim of a reporter is to inform and not to
sensationalise. Impeccable integrity, analytical thinking
and strong news sense makes a good journalist great.
A good journalist is also someone who is patient and
impatient at the same time. Keen interest in
uninteresting events sometimes yields interesting articles
as well. So, a good journalist turns boring news event
into an interesting feature piece.
Techniques of Reporting:
This is a summary of the contents in this section:
 Finding stories
 Finding sources and cultivating them
 Research
 Interviewing skills
 Writing a well-rounded story
What are the challenges that a reporter faces in coming
up with a good news report? He has to be accurate and
the first to report about an event. Plus he has to be
balanced. He also has to verify all information- the three
source rule.
So how does a reporter face these challenges- notice the
details , research like a pro, ask the right questions , get
people to talk to you and double check all information?
We are going to answer these questions and more in this
important section.
Finding Story ideas:
A lot of rookies ask one question, “Where can I find story
ideas?”

There is no simple answer to this question but there is an

easy one - everywhere.

Tips for spotting story ideas are as follows:

• Celebrate normalcy
One can’t write a story about every person or everything,
but they all have stories.
• Understand the audience
Consider who the readers are and what types of things
they want to read. If a rookie is not sure about this, he or
she should ask them.
• Observe one’s surroundings
Often one sees things that turn into story ideas. So a
rookie should watch what people are doing. Look for
signs of things that are happening in your area and see
whether there is a story there.
A great way to find good story ideas is by reading every
magazine, book or newspaper one can get. It’s ok to
“borrow” ideas from other publications as long as you
give them your own twist.
• Focus the topic
One of the most difficult things about generating story
ideas is focusing them so they are doable and effective.
Break big topics into several “bite-sized” chunks.
• Ask sources
The people one interviews for one’s story are excellent
sources for one’s next idea. So one should ask them what
they’re interested in reading about and make notes of
other story ideas one gets during interviews.
• Write little stuff
Not every topic is a major story, but one may find some
subjects that make great smaller stories that run beside
main ones. Be willing to develop several stories instead
of writing just one that is really long.
• Eavesdrop
One can’t write stories based on what one hears, but one can
get ideas from listening to what people discuss.

Tips for remembering one’s story ideas:

A rookie should keep a running list of story ideas where
he keeps jotting down story ideas as they occur to him.
He should never assume that he will remember a good
story idea.
He can also keep a clip file and if he sees something he
likes in another newspaper, magazine or on the web, he can
print it or clip it. He must spend time later figuring out how
to localize it.

Cultivating Sources:
A reporter also generally keeps a file on everyone he
knows or ought to know, along with their contact
information. Because time is of great essence, a reporter
can lose out if he does not have access to his sources or
contacts.
Meeting different types of people and cultivating a
relation with them helps. It is advisable to keep in touch
with everyone regularly from the office boy to the
company CEO for doing good stories fast.
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES:

A. Getting great interviews

Interviews not only provide a reporter with essential
information, they also add life and voice to a story. In
interviews one can gather information, pick up quotes,
and set scenes – the basics one needs to write a story.
Tips for more effective interviews:
• Identify oneself as a writer.
A rookie should be sure to identify himself by name and
tell the source who he is writing for and what story he
plans to write.
• Prepare questions
He should draft questions in advance. One usually needs 15 to
20 questions. Be sure they are short answer types. One’s first
question always should be name spelling and official title
of the interviewee.
• Be prepared for the interview
This means having paper, questions and at least two pens.
• Treat an interview like a structured conversation
Prepare a list of questions in advance, but don’t be
wedded to it.
• Plan questions in order
Don’t lead off with the hardest questions. Start easy.
• Time the note taking
A rookie should pull out his notebook after he gets to the
place where he’ll be interviewing. He should make small
talk and make the subject comfortable.
• Know when to be quiet He should listen carefully
enough so that he knows when to let the
source pause to collect his or her thoughts.

Writing it all down

When one goes to interview a source, it’s important that
one does a good job of documenting their comments in
order to write an appropriate story. Things one should
consider when taking notes:
• Don’t crowd the notebook. Leave space for annotating
notes.
• Never allow a tape recorder to keep one from taking
the best notes possible.
• Take 20 times as many notes as one can put in the
story.
• Closely notice the space around the source. Don’t be
afraid to question them about the things around them.
• Use senses to record the scene.
• Ask follow-up questions like how something happened.
Also, don’t forget to ask:
• Name spelling and official title.
• If the source has anything to add
• If there’s anyone else you should contact
Don’t be afraid to call a source back or to ask questions
that aren’t on the list.

• Write the story as soon as possible after the interview.

Writing the Story:

A good way to write interesting stories is by thinking like
a movie screenplay writer.
Use these movie techniques to better prepare the
approach to writing.
Think like a screenwriter
Consider the opening, scenes, plot, theme, main and
supporting characters, dialogue, and climax.
Make an outline about where one’s story should start and
where it will end.
Think of entertainment
Try to think what keeps one in one’s seat watching a
movie when one really wants some popcorn.
Ask the entire time one is writing if the story would
keep one in one’s seat and if one was the reader, would
one read it? If the answer is “no,” one needs to make a
change.
Details, details, details
While reporting, take notes that capture examples of taste,
smell, sound, hearing, and sight. Ones eyes should
become a camera, recording images and senses that can
be turned into words. Remember: it’s ok not to use
everything one writes down. It’s not ok to need a detail
and not have it in notes.
Be a critic
After you write the first draft, critique the work.
Learning to be one’s own critic will help separate one
from ones work and enable one to review it with the eye
of the reader. Sometimes the best way to do this is take
a break, print the story instead of looking at it on
computer screen and read it aloud.

Checklist:
One the top reasons stories are sent back to reporters for
corrections is because they are missing important
information. Nancy Sharkey of “The New York Times”
created this list to check for holes and other mistakes in
stories.
 Does the lead work?
 Is it supported by the story?
 If it is an anecdote, does it illustrate the main point?
 If it is a scene lead, does it draw in readers quickly?
 What is the point of the story?
 Is the point clear?
 Does it need additional background information?
 Does the story capture the context clearly and
concisely without oversimplifying?
 Does the story make sense?
 Does it flow logically from one section to the next?
 Are the sections in the right order?
 Are there significant holes? Or conversely, does it
condescend to the intelligent reader?
 Do the numbers add up?
 Does it compare apples to apples, oranges to
oranges?
 Is it fair? Are the relevant arguments represented
adequately?
 Are references to race, sexual orientation, religion
and ethnic background relevant?
 Is the relevance clearly established?
 How’s the GSPS? (Grammar, spelling, punctuation and
style.)

Invaluable technique for writing smart:

We have put together this list with the help of editors to
write smart and tight. Joe Hight, managing editor of The
Oklahoman, advises writers to watch their V.E.R.B.S.
V is for vigour
Strengthen verbs by using ones that are specific,
descriptive, show mood and are active - plunge, dive, decide,
kick. Avoid passive voice. Trim weak linking verbs such as is,
has and make.
E is for enthusiasm
Enthusiasm or the drive to want to learn more, the desire
to get the interview that no one else can get and the
attitude to check all names and facts one last time will
drive an average writer to become a good writer and a
good writer to become an outstanding writer.
R is for rewrite
Rewrite stories as many times as possible. Double-check
facts and names. Trim prepositions, adjectives and
adverbs. Limit cliches and trim or explain the jargon. Get
rid of quotes that don’t add to the stories.
B is for be specific
Find the details that will help the reader see, taste, smell,
or hear your story. Look for details that will help you show the
scene to the reader.
S is for simplify to seek clarity.
One should seek clarity, if you want the reader
to understand one’s writing. It means simplicity and
remembering that the best sentences follow the simple
structure- subject, verb, and object.
It also means focus and avoiding sentences with long
clauses that are unnecessary or delay the subject.