Material Objectives

At the end of this module, student should able to:

Enumerate the characteristics of news

Identify various sources of news
Determine potential sources of school news
Decipher the elements of news

Learning Outcomes

Apply elements of news in specific situations

Record the ways in news gathering
Apply the news elements in specific situations

Course Materials

News in School Papers

With the concept of news in mind, a student journalist should remember that anything that concerns
the school, its students, the teachers, including the parents is newsworthy.

News in school may include worthwhile or extraordinary acts of students like: opening of a new
college, inauguration of the new building, stories of success, conflicts or suspense, school convocations
and other programs, interviews of visiting personalities, merging of two colleges, increasing tuition and
other fees, new grading system and the like.

Accuracy of News

The accuracy of news is in fact taken for granted by the news consumers. Though it is very
difficult to be accurate in news. Readers should have a feeling that whatever they are being presented is
the overcome of an honest and dedicated effort of the writer. The readers should never be given an
opportunity to say that they never believed what appeared in the papers. All facts given in the news
item should be accepted by readers without questions. What factual accuracy really means is that every
statement in news items every name and date and age, quotation every definite word or expression or
sentence must be precise and presentation of the true facts. Accuracy means correctness not merely in
general impression but also in details, hastily accuracy is to a newspaper what virtue is to a lady.

News should be Balanced

News is to be balanced though it is not an easy task to write news which is balanced in every
respects, a severe effort must be made by a reporter to render the account of any event in the best
possible manners. The reporter has to write all the specific facts correctly, fairly and accurately and
objectively. He has to put all the facts together in a manner that his report conveys the correct and
factual impression. He has to give a fair picture of the event as it takes place. In order to be fair both to
the audience and about the gentleman about whom news is given it is necessary that the news is
balanced in content and meaning. News should be balanced in the matter of emphasis and
complements. As a reporter he must constantly strive to give each fact its proper emphasis and to put it
in proper relation to every other fact and to give those facts the relative importance to the meaning of
the story as a whole. A reporter has to narrate every last circumstance of the story in pause taking
details. A reporter has to select and arrange facts in a manner so as to give a balanced view of the whole
situation.

Objectives

News is a factual report of an event as it occurred. It is not the event as a prejudiced eye might
see it or as the reporter might wish it to be or have thought it to be on those concerned in the event
might like to present it. Facts must be reported impartially as they occurred. Objectivity in the news is
one of the most important principles of modern journalism. It means that the news covers to the
consumer intimated without any personal bias or any outside influence that would make it appear
anything but what it is. News is unavoidable. News should be presented without a shade. A reporter
should not look at events through glosses either raised colored or smote. News is to be presented in full
light of impartial .and scrupulously honest observation. Objectivity is essential because only pure news
can give the consumer confidence since people form their opinions on the basis of news items it is all
the more necessary that it should be objective in all manners.

News should be Concise and Clear

News must follow the news form developed over a period of many years. It must be unite,
concise, clear and simple. A story that is diffused, disorganized and ambiguous in meaning does not have
the characteristic quality of news. It should be well-paced, unified and abuse all written so clearly that
the meaning of the story is also absolutely plain.

Current (Elements of Time in News)

The definition of news remains incomplete if element of time is not given major consideration.
Time is the essence of the news. Emphasis is on the time element of news story, this is necessary
because of the changes which may occur in the transitory period. Things are always changing and the
news consumers want the most recent information on subjects of concerns or interest to them. In the
present circumstances the news development might undergo a rapid change. The events occurring in
the morning may completely outdate or upset east might facts. Most news are labelled todaysor at the
most distant, last night. The news media are specific about time. They tell the readers that the news is
not only recent but truly the last word on the subject. The news media has developed great speed in
news media has developed great speed in news handling in order to able to report events while they are
still new. The reader is interested in current and new things. A newsman wins consumers and readers by
rendering.

Types of News Stories

Here are the following types of news stories according to their classifications.

According to Chronology or Sequence

Spot News.As the term suggests, this is a news story that gathers informal as it is broadcasts at the same
time. Hence, it is unscheduled and demands immediate publication. In many instances, the reporter
becomes the first hand witness to the activity or subject taking place. for instance, a student journalist
happens to be standing at the gate when a jeepney bumps an education student. He writes the story
and publishes it in the weekly nenwsletter of the college.
Coverage News.Many interchange spot news and coverage news. Though both if the, are good avenues
for firsthand information, the difference between the two is that coverage news is written based on the
given assignment to the reporter or news writer.
Advance News.When a writer crafts news about an upcoming event, say, meeting de avance of running
student leaders, change of opening of classes for the next academic year and an announcement of new
uniforms to take effect next semester, he/she actually writes an advance news.
Follow-up News.While advance news is predictive, follow-up news looks into the upshot to an event or
situation. For instance, a reporter wrote s news about the imposition of the new uniform effective this
semester, then in the next issue he shall write on the ideas and comments of the students about the
new uniform, or the problems they now meet.
According to Range and Reach
Local News: This is a news item. The subject of which happen in ones own community where the paper
originates.
National News: Countrywide news is called national news. It is determined when the news impacts the
people of a certain country. Most national news is published in the dailies.
Foreign News: All news items which trace their origin from outside the boarders of the country are
called foreign news. Some foreign news articles also create impact to typical locals due to their domino
effect like the oil price hike in the world market.
Dateline News: am out-of-town news story. this news is introduced by a dateline which states the place
from which the story was reported, the date, and the source of the material if not written by the local
staff.
According to Construction
Straight News. The first paragraph answer the most important W (what, where, when why, who)
depending on which of the Ws is the most prominent among them. Its body paragraphs consists of the
elaboration on the Ws and the H. it is written using the inverted triangle structure.

Consider the following news excerpt:

'President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was shot and killed by an assassin today. He died of a wound
in the brain caused by a rifle bullet that was fired at him as he was riding through downtown Dallas in a
motorcade.'
These are the first two sentences from the front page of the November 22, 1963 New York
Times. The article goes on to detail the events prior to the shooting, the capture of a suspect,
resuscitation attempts on the president, and the administering of last rites. But in just those first two
sentences the reader is told the end of the story.
This popular and widely used style of news writing is known as the inverted pyramid. It's a
method of 'front loading' an article so that the reader receives the most important information first, or
on top. The article starts with the conclusion: Kennedy was shot and killed.
Using an inverted pyramid, the journalist
leads with the attention-grabbing finale. The
journalist follows up with supporting paragraphs that
contain details, in order of most to least important.
The article ends with the least important information.
In the New York Times article, the last paragraph
contains portions of the speech President Kennedy
was on his way to give at an event in Dallas.

The most important information goes at the top of

the inverted pyramid.
Notice how the inverted pyramid is the opposite of essay writing. Essay writing requires the student to
start with an introduction and build toward a conclusion. Instead, the journalist makes his or her point
and then proceeds to explain it.
News Feature. This special type of news should not be confused with the feature articles (features).
News feature is sometimes called special features and printed in the features sections of the newspaper
or in the magazines. Human interest and news-feature stories are classified as news since both are
gathered and written daily by reporters as their regular assignments. Furthermore, both emphasize the
elements of timeliness or immediacy which distinguish news from other types of reading, although they
differ in important respects from the straight news story.
Single-feature or One-Incident Story.
It may be an account of a speech, an interview, an election, that deals
with an isolated event. In writing a news-feature story with this kind of
structure, include the one-feature in the lead. Add in the body details
which clarify and explain the lead. See that the story breaks logically at
every paragraph and that the story may be cut if lengthened as space
dictates.
The several-feature, multiple-angle or composite story.

In a composite story, teo or more divergent aspects of a news topic are

drawn together for the sake of space and coherence. In structure, the
composite story may resemble that of a follow-up story in that both of
them aim to consolidate component parts. However, they differ in the
sense that the follow-up story ends in a tie-in with a past story;
whereas, the composite story is composed of units, each one made up
of fresh spot news frequently with reference to the future. In writing
the several features in a comprehensive lead in the order of their
importance. The next step is to explain and elaborate in the body each
of the features in the order which they are in the lead. In doing this,
relegate less important details of each feature to less important
positions. But remember that each chain of facts although covered
separately should be handled as a single, unified story.

Fact Story

This is plain exposition of a simple situation of a series of closely related events which
conform to the inverted triangle design more closely than any other kinds of news. The
components parts are the series of facts that may be likened to rectangles of diminishing
length arranged one after the other in order of their importance.

The key to proper arrangement consists solely in judging the relative value of the data at
hand and in grouping them in their respective order.

Action Story
This is a narrative involving not merely simple facts but dramatic actions –
incidents, description of persons, perhaps testimonies of witness, as well as
explanatory data.
Speech, Report, Quote and Intervention Stories
 The arrangements of a speech report, a quote story and of an interview are to
great extent similar. The quote story may be charted as alternating large and
small rectangles of diminishing size: summary, quote, summary quote, summary
arrangement. The quotations may be direct, indirect, or a combination of both.
In writing this kind of story, the following suggestions may be helpful:
Write a summarizing lead in any appropriate for.
Write the body of the story in a summary-quote-summary arrangement.
The lead may be a summarizing statement – the gist of the speech, statement letter, or interview or it
may be the most important quotation in the story written as direct quote.
Minor News Forms

Sources of News

Beat– the beat is the stable assignment of the reporter. For instance in a school setting, the chief editor
or the adviser is identifying assignments for the writers. Jane, a news writer is assigned to gather news
from the student body. Janes beat is the student council only; thus, what she concentrated on is only
issues about the student body.
Being confined to only one assignment, the reporter achieves a sense of time
management and a chance to get through all the perspective of the news. this will
also diminish hodgepodge ideas of the writer, especially a student journalist.
Written and Printed Documents– A good journalist is resourceful in looking for newsworthy issues. One
of his/her sets of sources includes public documents – either electronically or physically posted. For
example, if the/she is gathering data for the newly imposed rules on wearing the prescribed uniform,
he/she may look into the minutes of the meeting or the resolution where such rules are inscribed.
Observation– this may be done through a keen empirical observation. It exists as a writer bears witness
using the physical senses to what is happening in the local communities. In the context of school paper,
a writer must be wary of the places and goings-on in the campus. These may be activities that are not
visible to the eyes of the many.
Tips from Co-writers, Teachers and Students -
Gantt Chart of Schedule or Calendar of Activities
Interviewing Key Informants- this is the gathering od information on a person-to-person basis, straight
from the experts or any resource person as a credible source.

More Source of News

Blogs – they present another source of news, free form traditional economic, corporate, political, or
advertising considerations. There are blogs devoted to all sorts of topic. Blogs after alternative points of
view to traditional media. Blogs provide an additional outlet for reporters to explain why they reported
a story in the way they did.
Citizen Journalism – in citizen journalism, ordinary citizens become amateur reporters. This trend is
facilitated by digital and cell phone video cameras anf high speed internet access. Traditional news
media encourage citizen journalism and many media outlets ask audience members to submit photos
and video clips. Citizen journalism is popular with the mainstream news media in part because it is free
content, but it also empowers the audience.
Hyperlocal News – this is a news referring to new coverage for a very small community. It can be a single
Zip Code or interest group in a defined geographic area. Most hyperlocal news appears on web sites.
Publishers of hyper local news hope that the extremely local focus and the coverage of topics ignored by
the traditional media will draw in people who generally do not consume news. twitter and Facebook
have examples of hyperlocal news, and visitors can find news of interest to them and their close circle of
friends.

Rules of Thumb in News Gathering

A writer must not only have the nose for news, but also considers the guidelines in gathering
data. Ramirez (2009) has published some of these rules of thumb in data gathering for new
writing.

See for yourself. Nothing is more vivid when one sees the even right before his own eyes. Becoming the
first-hand witness, other than gathering through hearsay, keeps the spontaneity of ideas of the writer.
Find the person who knows. The writer should go directly to the person who is considered as they key
participant of the issue. Such a person may give the writer a sense of confidence that what he/she will
write is taken from the statements and ideas of the persons. Rather than surmising the ideas, effects
and impacts of an issue. Further, this act champions objectivity, thus diminishing bias.
Compare all versions. A writer must not rely solely on one version. As discussed in the previous chapter,
one should set myriads of perspectives, so as to limit the holes of biases. Moreover, feel free to question
inconsistencies and ensure the veracity of each statement or information.
Be tactful and courteous. A writer is respectful of time. Hence, he should focus only on the data needed.
He should avoid spending the time of the interviewee on futile topics. Courtesy is likewise seen in acts
and words of the writer who gathers data. More often than not, saying thank you is a good gesture to
pay the interviewee the bother fee incurred.
Make and keep friends. Dependable informants are most valued assets, especially when a writer is
assigned in a single beat throughout the academic year. When needed, give them favourable mention in
your stories. Never break their trust in the name of having a good scoop of the news.
Print it. this rule of thumb reminds a writer or a journalist that unpublished news is wasted. The fact
that one has gathered data, the news is now considered a newsworthy item.

Stages in Interview

Here are some steps in conducting an interview using the formula known as the GOSS,
developed by Rue de Guilleland.

Know your Goal or purpose

Present Obstacle encountered
Offer Solutions to these obstacles
Start writing the interview story.

Steps in Conducting the Interview

Define the purpose

Conduct a background research of the topic you are assigned to.
Set an interview appointment.
Make preliminary planning by listing down possible questions. There are six questions beginning with
five Ws and on H. however, be sure to ask specific who, another who, one more who and final who. For
instance, you are interviewing the principal of your school regarding the Brigada Eskwela conducted last
May. You may ask as many WHOquestions as you wish like:
Who was the proponent of the program?
Who were the benefactors?
Who were the participants?
Who else attended the activity?
Who may be benefitted by the program?

Structure of News

First paragraph
In your first one or two sentences tell who, what, when, where, and why. Try to hook the reader by
beginning with a funny, clever, or surprising statement. Go for variety: try beginning your article with a
question or a provocative statement.

2. Second/Third/Fourth paragraphs

Give the reader the details. Include one or two quotes from people you interviewed. Write in
the third person (he, she, it, they). Be objective -- never state your opinion. Use quotes to
express others' opinions!

3. Last paragraph

Wrap it up somehow ( don't leave the reader hanging. Please don't say...."In conclusion"or "To
finish..."(yawn!) Try ending with a quote or a catchy phrase.

Use active words (verbs that show what's really happening.)

Take notes when you interview. Write down quotes!
Tell the really interesting info first!

Writing the story

A story is much like a conversation. It begins with the most interesting piece of
information or a summary of the highlights and works its way down to the least interesting
facts. There are words or phrases that take you from one topic of conversation to another.
Before you know it, you're finished.

Inverted pyramid

You should be very familiar with the inverted pyramid style of writing. You'll likely use it
every day. For example, when you call a friend to tell him or her about a big date, you begin by
telling the most interesting and important things first. The least important information is saved
for the end of the conversation, and depending on how much time you have to talk, that
information may not get into the conversation.

That concept also applies to news stories. The lead is the first paragraph of a news story.
Usually, the lead is one sentence long and summarizes the facts of the news story in order of
most newsworthy to least news-worthy. The reader should know at first glance what the story is
about and what its emphasis is.

Read: https://copyblogger.com/captivating-news-stories/

Campus Journalism within your reach, A worktext for Journalist Wannabees in the
Campus by Ferdinand Bulusan, MAEd,Lorimar Publishing Inc. Page 28-50

https://sites.google.com/a/wjps.org/the-blazer---newspaper-class/news-writing-
resources/news-structure
Activities/Evaluation

a. In your scrapbook (or portfolio), clip and mount five straight news stories that contain human interest.
b. from any school paper, preferable from other institutions, clip two news stories that
deal with classroom activities.
c. clip a news item which has several inaccuracies as regards acknowledging the source
of the data. Highlight such parts in red ink and present your output.
Directions: On the space provided before each item, identify the news element that is reflected in each
of the issues below.
Car accident in front of the Batanes State College main gate.
Procurement of 12 computer units each school year.
Ground-breaking ceremony of two-storey audio-visual building
A twenty-four-year-old lesbian becomes the youngest Philippine President.
The love affair of Angelica Panganiban and John Lloyd Cruz
Number of casualties in the car accident
Joan Garcia, 52, a widow and mother of 12 graduated cum laude last school year.
The college president just signed a memorandum to move the graduation from March to February 28.
Slogan-making contest and cookfest in HRM laboratory
A differently-abled student wins in oration after practicing the piece for more than a month.
Get at least three back issues of your school paper. Clip five news articles and survey the articles
according to the matrix below.

Headline Writer Sources o