PAPER II - PRINT MEDIA

Unit I
Objectives:
To get a better understanding about the Reporting
To understand the sources of Reporting
To understand the qualities of Journalist
Modern trends in reporting
Introduction
Print journalism has been a source for current events, information, and political news for centuries. In the
last 20 to 30 years, though, this field has experienced remarkable changes in content and format with the
advent of the internet and digital technology, causing uncertainty about the role of traditional journalism
in a modern world. This section aims to provide a contrast between the form, function and resources used
by media in the past (i.e. mid 1900s) and in the modern era. This comparison will especially focus on how
the news industry has been affected thus far by transitions to new formats such as television, radio, and
most importantly digital media.
Usages of advanced techniques in conveying messages
Print Media are adopting various new trends. For example- the new three dimensional technology used in
the film Avatar has spread to newspapers too. The advantage of the technology is that the images look
normal, even when a newspaper is read without 3D glasses. The old technology makes the images look as
if they have been printed incorrectly. The adoption of new trend in Mass Media is a continuous process.
Any new trend may continue either for a long time or for a short time. In case of newspapers, new trends
may be developed in-page designing, news writing, giving headlines, choosing contents, presenting
material in various formats, photos, technical application, collecting news, distribution of news and
likewise in many other such areas. New trend is required due to competition among newspapers and the
challenges they are facing from other new media. Newspapers are trying to present all things in a new
way in the newspapers to face all these challenges. Indian newspapers have gone through a tremendous
change. Similarly, several new trends have developed in on-line journalism.
Print Media is one of the oldest traditional media. It has faced several challenges from time to time. New
technologies are giving new challenges to this media. Even the publication of newspapers has also
become a threat to the environment due to consumption of a large amount of tree for paper. 11% of total
tree consumed are used for newspapers. Print Media have several shortcomings. Electronic Media are
more up to date. The speed of Electronic Media is much faster than Print Media. Print Media emphasize
on quality and accuracy rather than speed. This media can be issued only to a limited number of people.
Electronic Media have no dead line. It is more interactive and have many other qualities. Several kinds of
new threats have developed to the existence of newspaper industry in recent years. It includes new forms
of radio, 24 hour news channel which have been covering all kinds of news stories. Video presentation
has become more entertaining and useful. Internet is greatest challenge to Print Media. It has provided a
great opportunity to readers to see various types of latest news.
History shows that journalists adopt new technologies for news gathering if the tools are easy to use, if
they enhance the storytelling process, and if they accelerate the gathering of news. The mobile phone is
the latest in a long line of technologies that journalists have embraced. The iPhone is a game changer
when it comes to news gathering because it is so easy to use, though the built-in battery is a limitation
because mobile phone reporting chews up battery life.
Reporters will reject news gathering technologies if the tools are too difficult or complicated to use.
Journalists will not waste time with complex technologies. The constant tick of the clock makes editorial
staff aware of deadlines. Those deadlines have increased with the arrival of the 24/7 newsroom and online
news services. All of the technologies embraced by journalists since the 1850s, when they first used the
telegraph, have reflected the twin desires for speed and increased efficiencies. Indeed, journalism was a
leisurely affair until the arrival of the telegraph. Before the technology that The Economist’s Tom
Standage dubbed the “Victorian Internet”, became widely available from about the 1880s, editors
published foreign news only after ships arrived. Reporters rowed to newly arrived vessels to secure the
latest news, even though it was from newspapers that were months old. Domestic news travelled only as
fast as a horse could gallop, and most news was necessarily local. The pigeons that Baron Reuter
introduced in the 1850s accelerated the speed of news gathering, but pigeons had limited range and scope.
The arrival of the telegraph was a watershed for journalism because it was the first technology that
accelerated the reporting process on a global scale.
War has always focused journalists’ attention on the speed and reliability of technology. American media
historian, Richard Schwarzlose, maintained that the telegraph turned American journalism “into a news-
hungry industry” during the American Civil War of 1861-65: “A craving for the freshest news grew hand-
in-hand with the new technologies of steam and electricity,” he wrote. Australian historian, Kevin
Livingston, suggested the telegraph was the “most significant international communication medium”
around the world between the mid-1850s and the 1920s. Indeed, he argued, this period was “the age of the
telegraph”. In a relatively short time the telegraph’s wires encompassed the world, boosted by British
capital, labour and enterprise. Lines of cable reached out from the world’s great commercial and
diplomatic centres, “fostering the growth of nationalism within countries, along with faster business and
media transactions”.
Using telegraph for a news event was notable because information travelled slowly in the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries, compared with what we experience today. Compare the slowness of these events
with the speed at which news and information traverses the world in seconds now. Details of the
earthquake in Japan in January 2011, and the London riots in August 2011, were available via Twitter and
Facebook and text message (SMS) seconds after they happened.
Now: Journalism in the Digital Age
Journalism today is, in a word, dynamic. Newspaper readership has gone down significantly as online
applications of journalism have become the norm. Most of the newspapers have online version and linked
to web sites such as Youtube, social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter and personal blogs.
Many news companies now actively attempt to integrate multimedia components such as video, links or
photos into almost every story. In addition to these new methods of media consumption, the ability to
generate and self-publish news is now in the hands of anyone with an internet connection and a few basic
tools, creating a new power dynamic between traditional news sources and citizen journalists. The recent
trends among journalist that gathering news, processes the news and transmits/ streaming the news
through smartphone technology that called as mojos.
New/Significant Technologies:
 Cheap, highly advanced digital cameras/ camcorders and mobile phones
 The internet
 Free personal blogging and publishing programs
 Email
 Smartphones
 Global internet connectivity through wi-fi and satellite networks

How Technology is Shaping the Future:

1. Cheaper, more complex electronics have given ordinary citizens tools that level the playing field
between them and mainstream media.
2. Online news sites, while still experimenting with business models, have developed and are rapidly
taking the place of newspaper and magazine services.
3. Globalization has allowed for up-to-the-minute news updates on anything anywhere.
4. The new tools afforded modern journalists have produced a multimedia storytelling experience
richer than anything imaginable in the past which will certainly shape where the future will lead
for this industry.

PRODUCTION OF QUALIFIED REPORTERS

Sources of news
A newspaper will have hundreds of news stories each day comprising international, national, state and
local news. Besides such straight news, there will also be features, opinion pieces such as columns,
reviews, middles, articles etc. How does a newspaper gather all these stories from across the world?
We cannot pinpoint someone or something as the source of news. We have seen ordinary mortals
becoming great heroes all of a sudden. Similarly, great men and women have become fallen heroes and
heroines instantly. Unknown places become a hotbed of news stories. There are numerous sources of
news for newspaper organization. These are briefly explained below.
Reporters are the primary sources of news for a newspaper. Vast majority of the news that appear on a
newspaper are reports filed by the newspaper’s own correspondents. They are the foot soldiers of a
newspaper. Their reports become news to millions of reading public.
News agencies are professional organizations that collect and distribute news to the newspapers. All the
news that is printed in a newspaper is not gathered by its reporters. A major source of news for a
newspaper is news agencies or wire agencies.
Electronic and new media namely television channels, radio stations and websites, are also a source of
news for a newspaper.
Press release is an important source of news for newspapers. Press conferences and meet the press are
important sources of news.
Parliament, legislatures and civic bodies when in session become major sources of news. Important
decisions are announced, debated and voted in these assemblies. Courts also are sources of news.
Proceedings of sensational cases and important judgments by High Courts and Supreme Court come in
the news.
Conferences, meetings, seminars,, symposia etc. are also sources of news. Important decisions can be
announced in such meetings. Similarly, research findings and discoveries could be put forward in such
meetings.
Internet has become an important online source for all media professionals. Police stations, fire stations,
party headquarters, medical colleges, universities etc. are also news sources. For an alert and committed
journalist anything and anybody could be a potential source of news.

News assignments
A newspaper will have scores of reporters assigned with the responsibility of covering various events,
issues, organizations, celebrities etc. Thus, senior, mid-level, junior and trainee reporters are entrusted
with the task of writing regular reports from various areas on a daily basis. Reporting in general takes
three forms.
1. General assignment
 General assignment reporters cover breaking news or feature stories as events and issues unfold. The
editor or the bureau chief (senior most designation among the reporters) of a particular edition directly
assigns these stories. These reports are covered from the spot where the events take place. For example a
flash strike by private bus workers, a police lathi-charge on students picketing the roads or a political
murder.
2. Beat reporting
Beat reporters cover news and features in specific geographic or subject areas such as police stations,
munsiff and district courts, universities, local bodies, political parties. These reporter come up with their
own story ideas based on the inputs they get from a number of resources that they maintain. They usually
write at least one story on their beat. Beats are one of the best methods to catch major news stories. This
practice has become an accepted method all over the world. A person assigned with a beat is media
organization’s primary source of news from that area.
3. Special reporting
Special reporters cover breaking news and features in more specialised areas than the beat reporters such
as environment, cultural programmes, information technology, law, foreign affairs, education and
medicine. Specialist reporters generally do not cover spot news. But they have to analyse the roots of
problems, the reasons behind the news, the possible solutions, and the future prospectus of the news
events and developments.

How to write a news story?

News writing
Every news story should contain four essential elements— accuracy, attribution of source, fairness and
objectivity.

Structure of a News Story

A news story is organized differently from any other type of writing. For example, an essay would begin
with an introduction and then move on to the body and then end with a powerful conclusion. But a news
story quickly conveys the main facts of a happening – the climax – and then relates the other facts in the
order of diminishing importance. A diagram of the story would look something like this:
The main advantage of this type of writing is that it is easy to grasp the important points in the first few
seconds of the reading. Let us analyse a typical story in a newspaper.

Abdul Ghani Lone shot dead

Srinagar, May 21 (UNI): Senior Hurriyat Conference leader Abdul Ghani
Lone was today shot dead by unidentified gunmen at a rally here, dealing
a severe blow to the voice of moderates among separatists. One of
Lone’s gunmen was also killed in the attack while another injured, they
said.
The shootout took place during a ceremony to mark the death
anniversary of the father of senior Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq
and former Mirwaiz of Kashmir, Maulvi Mohammed Farooq, at Idgah
ground in Old Srinagar city, they said. The attack was apparently carried
out by two unidentified gunmen who appeared at the Idgah graveyard....
(The New Indian Express, Chennai)
Abdul Ghani Lone shot dead which appears in bold type is the headline. It is put at the head of the story
and gives the reader an idea about the subject of the story.
Srinagar, May 21 is the ‘dateline’. It tells the reader the place and date of the news story.
UNI is the ‘creditline’. The newspaper has published this story which has been supplied by the news
agency United News of India. By putting UNI the paper acknowledges the source of the news story and
gives due credit. Sometimes the name of the reporter or correspondent appears below the headline: for
example, From John Mary, By K K Katyal etc. It is termed byline in newspaper jargon.
The first paragraph of the story is called intro or lead. In the above example Senior Hurriyat Conference
leader Abdul Ghani Lone was today shot dead by unidentified gunmen at a rally here, dealing a severe
blow to the voice of moderates among separatists is the intro/lead.
The rest of the news is called the body of the news story. Intro/lead gives the most important information
contained in the news story. A well written lead/ intro is a prerequisite of a good story.
Inverted pyramid style
Newspapers also adopted the inverted-pyramid form because it summarises the news quickly. It gives
readers the convenience of grasping the news of the day by simply skimming lead paragraphs. The form
allows readers to decide whether they want to continue reading a story or leave it after any one of its
paragraphs. An inverted pyramid can also be trimmed from the bottom, which makes it easier to fit it into
the tight news holes of a newspaper.
The primary advantage of the inverted pyramid style is that it allows someone to stop reading a story after
only one or two paragraph. Doing so still allows that person to learn the story’s most important details.
The inverted pyramid style also ensures that all the facts are immediately understandable. It also helps the
headline writer to grasp the essentials of the story more quickly. Moreover, if a story is too long, editors
can easily delete one or more paragraphs from the end.
The inverted pyramid style has several disadvantages. First, because the lead summarises facts that later
paragraphs discuss in greater detail, some of those facts may be repeated in the body. Second, a story that
follows the inverted pyramid style rarely contains any surprises; the lead immediately reveals every major
details.

Hourglass style
Most stories are written in the traditional inverted pyramid. But there are alternatives to this style. In
hourglass style, the reporter provides the major news in the first few paragraphs of the story. These
paragraphs are presented in the inverted pyramid style. The reporter uses a turn, a transitional paragraph is
introduced to explain the chronology of the events. The transitional paragraph may begin with: police
gave the following account of the accident, our correspondent gave the following account, the victim told
the jury what happened etc. The details presented are told in the chronological order.
Hourglass style is suitable for covering trials, accidents news, breaking news etc. The Hindu newspaper
follows this style in some of their lead stories.
Lead/Intro
The first paragraph or two in a news story is called the lead. The lead is the most important part of a story
and the most difficult part to write. It is the part of the story that attracts the reader and, if it is well-
written can arouse readers’ interest. It should tell the reader the point of the story, not hide the subject
with unnecessary or misleading words and phrases. The important types of leads are listed below.
1. Summary leads
A summary lead, generally in no more than 35 words, tells an audience the most important of the six
primary elements of an event, the five W’s and H. Reporters look for these six elements whenever they
cover a news event. The most important of the six elements go into a summary lead.
2. Narrative lead
A narrative lead is the most popular lead on features and non-breaking news stories. It draws people into a
story by putting them, suddenly, in the middle of the action. It should entice a person to continue reading.
3. Contrast leads
A contrast lead compares or contrasts one person or thing with another, or several people or things with
one another. These “old and new”, “short and tall” or “yesterday and today” leads tell an audience the
way something was and now is. They can be used on any type of news or feature story.
4.Staccato leads
A staccato lead is made up of a short burst of phrases that carry an audience into a story by dangling some
of its key elements in front of them. It is meant to tease readers and to set the mood for the story, as in
these examples:
Friday. The night the music stopped. The first day of his prison term. 3,649 to go
5. Question leads
Lead that asks a question. The key to writing a question lead is to answer the question as quickly as
possible
Sweating? The mercury is to go up sharply in the days to come.
6. Direct address lead
In a direct-address lead, the news or feature writer communicates directly with the audience by using the
word you in the lead. These leads give writers an opportunity to reach out to their audience, to include
them as individuals in a story.
Beware if you are above 40. One out five Indians suffer from serious respiratory ailments, revealed a
study conducted by....
7. Quote leads
A quote lead allows a central character to begin a news or feature story by talking directly to the audience.
The quotation may be the most powerful one in the story, or it may set the tone for what is to follow.
‘I will not resign’, declared the CM.

Principles of translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent
target-language text. Source language/text is the language or text that is translated into another. The
language into which a text is translated is target language. The word translation derives from the Latin
translatio which means “to carry across” or “to bring across”.
A reporter is a person should have a) Good knowledge of the language, written and spoken, from which
they are translating (the source language);
b) Excellent command of the language into which they are translating (the target language);
c) Familiarity with the subject matter of the text being translated;
d) Profound understanding of the etymological and idiomatic correlates between the two languages.
Translating stories for mass media
Media professionals constantly require translating news stories for their target publications. Journalists,
unlike professional translators, translate against impossible deadlines. But the inherent hurry should not
lead them to Himalayan blunders. In the Indian context, most news stories reach the mass media in
English from the leading news agencies. These news reports require translation into regional languages
without affecting the sense and accuracy.
Translation for media has some peculiarity that distinguishes it from fiction translation. A newspaper
report basically expresses facts, communicates information, therefore relatively easy to translate as far as
the construction and style are concerned. It is not so when it comes to translating literary works. News
translation requires skill and craft. A news translator should have the qualities of a news editor. While
translating news, we should keep the rhythm of news language in the target language. The translated text
should be simple, clear, easy to understand, concise and matching with the news writing styles.
Investigative journalism
Writing of any news story calls for investigation, analyses and verification of facts. Investigative
journalism is popularly known as a branch that specialises in uncovering big misdeeds and misuse of
power. It is nothing but uncovering of scandals for the readers which some people hide as top secrets. It is
a rigorous, challenging and strenuous task for the journalist who undertakes such investigation.
Investigative journalism in India really began after the Emergency period. Several people describe Arun
Shourie as the first real investigative journalist in India. Aswini Sarin, Arun Sinha, Sucheta Dalal, Chitra
Subramaniam and N. Ram were the important investigative journalist of yesteryears.
The Pioneer reporter J. Gopikrishnan, a journalist from Kerala, is credited with exposing the 2G spectrum
scandal which is termed as the biggest corruption scandal in India so far. Similarly, it was The Outlook
and Open Magazine which dared to publish the Niira Radio transcripts that established the unholy nexus
between corporate business houses and high ranking media personnel. Julian Assange’s WikiLeaks
provided the online possibility of posting several thousands of secret documents of governments and
banks.

QUALITIES OF GOOD REPORTERS

Desired qualities that must be present in a reporter and sub-editor are listed below:
It is customary to describe desired qualities of a reporter and sub-editor separately, but as both of them
deal with the same commodity, news, and their basic job is to communicate effectively many of these
qualities have to be common.
1. News Sense:
News sense is the basic quality of newsmen. Every reporter has to have news sense or nose for news to
distinguish news from non-news.
He should be able to compare various news values and decide where to begin his story and should not
miss important details.
News sense is essential for a sub-editor also. He is the first reader of a reporter’s copy and if the reporter
has made a mistake he has to correct it. A bad copy may have the most important element of the story
buried in the fourth paragraph. It will be left to the sub-editor’s nose for news to bring that to the first
paragraph.
2. Clarity:
A reporter should have clarity of mind and expression. A person who is confused himself cannot tell a
story to others.
Only clarity of mind is not enough unless it is accompanied by clarity of expression. Without clarity of
expression clarity of mind has no meaning.
Sub-editor is the judge of clarity of the copy a good subeditor will never allow a copy escape him unless
the meaning is crystal clear. He has every right to make life miserable for a reporter who is not clear and
does not write in simple language.
3. Objectivity:
Reporter and sub-editor should aim at objectivity while dealing with a story. They should not allow their
personal bias or ideas to creep into a story. They should not take sides but try to cover all the different
viewpoints to achieve balance in the story.
4. Accuracy:
A reporter should strive for accuracy. He should check and re-check his facts till he is satisfied that he has
them accurate. In this respect he should not take any chance as accuracy is directly proportional to the
credibility of a reporter and his newspaper.
The role of a sub-editor is to check for accuracy. It is particularly important when background is involved.
In the case of dates and names the reporter may rely on his memory but the sub-editor must check them
from reference material available in the newspaper office.
When there is a doubt he should leave it out—this is the golden rule of journalism. It is better not to say a
thing than to say it wrong.
5. Alertness:
A reporter should always be alert while dealing with his subjects. Many major news breaks in the past
were possible because of alertness of reporters. Scoops don’t walk into newspaper offices—alert reporters
catch them in air and pursue.
A sub-editor has to be alert while working on news-desk. Lack of alertness of a sub-editor can be seen by
readers in the morning for he will be leaving or introducing mistakes for everybody to see.
6. Speed:
In today’s world speed matters everywhere. A person who cannot work fast cannot be a good reporter.
While maintaining all other desirable qualities a reporter should strive to work faster. He should think
fast, decide fast and write or type fast for he has to meet deadlines or may have to go to another
assignment.
A sub-editor also has to work with speed. He cannot sit with a copy for long. He has to do swiftly
whatever is required of him for a lot more copy is waiting for him. A slow sub-editor is a curse at the
news desk and is treated with contempt. Some people are misfits in the profession.
7. Calmness:
Reporters and sub-editors often work in trying circumstances. They have to remain calm and composed in
most exciting and tragic circumstances.
In many situations they have to be calm— devoid of hysterical actions or utterances and apply appropriate
mental and physical effort to write or edit the story.
Reporters and sub-editors are human beings. They have emotions but they have to stifle them in the face
of disturbing influences—they have to develop resistance to excitability. Being in the field, reporters face
many such occasions when they have to control their emotions.
Sub-editors should develop a temperament to work under pressure of deadlines. They should not lose
their cool if they are behind the clock for calm mind can work faster.
8. Curiosity:
Reporters and sub-editors should have an insatiable curiosity. For reporters it is useful in developing lust
for facts that may lead to better stories.
This characteristic will keep on improving a sub-editor for with every passing day a curious subeditor will
have a better background to do his job the next day. Reporters and sub-editors should read as much as
possible to constantly improve their awareness level.
9. Scepticism:
It is another necessary quality which a reporter and a subeditor should cultivate. They should not take
anything for granted. They should have an unwavering posture of doubt until faced with undeniable
proof.
Reporters should be more vigilant for many forces constantly try to use them, and through them their
paper.
Many people try to plant on reporters a wrong story for their own ends. Many a time reporters’ fall into
such traps in good faith. They should have enough scepticism to avoid such plots.
Sub-editors should also be careful for some clever politicians, public relations men and product
advertisers keep on trying to take them for a ride.
They should not allow anything to go in news columns that should actually go as advertisement. They
should not fail to check even reporters, copy for such foul play.
10. Punctuality:
It is a good habit. For reporters it is a must for if they are not punctual they may miss something for which
they may have to depend on secondary sources. It is always better to be punctual and then wait than reach
late and ask others—a rival may misinform you or hide some important information.
At the desk too punctuality pays. If a sub-editor is punctual he will be treated with respect by his co-
workers.
If he is late he will irritate them and spoil the working atmosphere. Besides he may have to face the
problem of backlog of copy which he will have to clear under the pressure of deadline.
11. Patience:
It is a quality which helps a reporter in a big way for many a time almost daily he has to test his patience,
the voluntary self- control or restraint that helps one to endure waiting, provocation, injustice, suffering or
any of the unpleasant vicissitudes of time and life.
Most of the time a reporter waits for someone or something and patience gives him the willingness for
wait without becoming disgruntled or anxious.
Many a time he has to tolerate other people’s shortcomings and has to remain unperturbed by someone
else’s slowness or other quirks.
Patience also helps sub-editors as they work long hours in trying conditions. They have to put up with
many annoying situations everyday vis-a-vis reporters, proof readers or typesetters.
12. Imagination:
This basic mental faculty helps reporters in writing better stories that retain the reader’s interest.
For a sub-editor this creative faculty is very useful as he can add sparkle to somebody else’s copy and
make it lively. Besides, imaginative headlines attract the reader and improve the quality of a newspaper.
13. Farsightedness:
An intelligent envisioning of the future helps newsmen in general. The quality helps them in identifying
processes and people who will be important in future.
Reporters can watch such processes and cultivate people who may become important news sources in the
future.
It helps reporters and sub-editors in determining the importance of an event. A reporter with foresight can
think ahead and prepare for eventualities.
With a little forethought sub-editors can plan their work so as to avoid tension and it results in better
functioning of the desk.
14. Self-discipline:
One can achieve a degree of proficiency in sub-editing or reporting by systematic effort and self-control.
In this sense self- discipline suggests dedication and firm commitment. It helps in journalism as in any
other field.
15. Integrity:
It is a virtue in itself and implies undeviating honesty and strict adherence to a stern code of ethics. This
human quality is important for journalists. It is more important for reporters for they are more exposed to
temptation as compared to sub-editors.
16. Fearlessness and Frankness:
These qualities help reporters in asking unpleasant questions and taking risks to find out truth. Nobody
gives a story on a platter.
The reporter will have to probe, question, authenticate and exercise his power of deduction to get a good
story.
17. Tactfulness:
A reporter should be tactful. He should have the ability to handle sensitive people and situations
gracefully without causing hurt or angry feelings. He should be considerate of others and should be
careful not to embarrass, upset or offend them.
A reporter should have flexible and sociable personality and should have a nature that relishes variety of
experiences.
He should have an understanding of human behaviour and emotions. This will help him in developing
contacts that are so essential for news gathering.
18. Initiative:
A reporter who works in the field should have an outgoing nature with initiative and drive. These qualities
will help him get acquainted with news sources and get stories from them. A meek, retiring or shy person
is not fit for reporting.
He may be good at his desk. Reporters need a fair amount of assertiveness and aggressiveness to be
successful in their career.
19. Mobility:
A reporter should be mobile. He should enjoy moving around and should not hesitate travelling distances
to get stories when required.
He should go to his news sources as often as possible for such constant contacts help him get news. A
mobile reporter is seldom caught napping when a major story breaks.
20. Diligence:
Reporters and sub-editors should be diligent. Their jobs require painstaking exertion of intense care and
effort, alertness and dedication to the task and wary watchfulness.
They have to make extremely fine distinctions while writing or editing copy a sub-editor should insist on
perfection and should lose his job for he can make or impair the newspaper.
These qualities are basically qualities of good and efficient human beings. Good and efficient human
being makes good and efficient sub-editors and reporters.
All other things being equal reporters need additional qualities to deal effectively with all sorts of people
they meet in the field. Sub-editors should have better command over language as they improve what
reporters write.

The art of interviewing – techniques

An interview is a planned process of asking questions and seeking answers to gain more information and
understanding. A reporter will have to interview several people while preparing news stories and features.
The questions seems to assume that a person being interviewed can and should be put at ease, but this
often is not the case. Many news gathering situations are tense, uncomfortable, unnatural, hurried,
perhaps joyous but more often sad and being at ease.
The question implies that there is a certain procedure a reporter can use to put a subject at ease before
extracting information.
 Smile politely
  Introduce yourself
 Exhibit interest in person and or subject
 Make sure source is comfortable
 Prepare to take notes unobtrusively
 Ask question: was that your kid out playing the traffic?

The reporter is under pressure to

1. understand what the news source is saying
2. Place it in context with what the source has said before or with what the reporter knows to have
happened before.
3. Think about what question logically follows what the news source is now saying.
4. Evaluate the newsworthiness of the material the source is providing.
5. Seek to determine consistency in this material by asking the same questions in a different way.
6. Do all of this in a manner that will maximize the amount of newsworthy material to be made
available to the news audience.

Interviewing is the backbone of reporting. It is a skill, which every reporter must acquire and acquire
well. Interviewing is almost certainly the most important way that reporters get the information that forms
the basis of their news reports. Like playing a guitar or dancing on a beat, some people seem to have a gift
for it, while others do not. Yet for all these activities, there are basic principles to learn, and those who
spend the time learning them will be better than those who do not. Being a brilliant interviewer may be an
art form; being a competent one is not.

A newspaper reporter conducts an interview for mainly two reasons: One, as a research for a news story.
Two, as a performance; part of the news report. Based upon these, interviews can be categorised into
following types:
1. The one-to-one short interview: Suppose you are covering a bomb blast. After speaking to eye-
witnesses, it is important for you to speak to a senior police officer, who is present on the spot. By
doing this, you will get the required quotes and may be some information too. For example, the
presence of a mysterious man in the area, just before the blast.

2. The one-to-one interview: Ceasefire has just been declared on the Line of Control, between
Indian and Pakistan. As a reporter, you may want to speak to somebody, to know the situation on
 the ground. This may involve fixing up an appointment with the Defence Minister. Such
interviews are long and detailed.

3. The Press Conference interview: Many-a-times, politicians or high ranking government officials
call a press conference to put forward their point of view.
For example former Chattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi called a press conference to make his stand
clear in the infamous Cash-for-MLA scandal. An arrangement like this is very convenient for the
organiser because he is able to address many journalists at the same time. For a reporter this may
prove to be an anomaly, because in a press conference, reporters from various media organisations get
the same information.
4. Vox Pop: It is a Latin term meaning ‘voice of the people’. Suppose, the Indian Government has
refused to let the Indian cricket team play with the Pakistani team, till Pakistan ends what India
terms as ‘cross-border terrorism’. On an issue, like this, a newspaper may decide to take the view
of people into account. So a reporter will speak to a cross section of people and take their views.
So someone may say that sports should not be sacrificed at the altar of politics and somebody
might be of the opposite view: no cricket till Pakistan stops aiding militants. Similarly, on a
budget day, reporters may be sent to know the views of the people. Here, a housewife may
complain about the increasing prices of domestic gas, while an executive may call cutting down
sales tax on electronic goods as a welcome step.
5. Grabbed Interview: There are times, when to a reporter, finding a suitable quote, reaction or a
comment may seem difficult because the person or the official involved may not be wanting to
speak to the Press. At times like these, that person or official gets mobbed by members of the
Press Corps. Put under such a trying situation, a word or two may escape from his mouth. That
amounts to getting what is known as a grabbed interview. An example of this is the case of RK
Sharma, the prime accused in the murder of the Indian Express journalist Shivani Bhatnagar.
When he was being tried in the court, he refused to speak to the Press, but after repeated attempts
by the media, he was almost forced to open his mouth and say, “law will takes its own course.”

The interview techniques are:

Alternative Question technique: There are times, when a politician or a public figure is involved in
some sort of controversy and the last thing he wants to do is appear in front of a tv camera or a news-
hungry journo, holding a notebook or a dictaphone in his hand. In a situation like this, if a reporter calls
that person for an interview or a comment or a remark, the person will plainly refuse. More so, in front of
the television cameras. Here, the alternative question technique comes into picture. You call that person
and he refuses to come, because he knows that reporters will be asking him questions on a particular
controversial issue. But if you tell him that the interview is regarding some other issue, he will come to
you.
Let me make you understand with the help of an example. The Chief Minister of Karnataka SM Krishna
had attended a function in his constituency, where children were made to marry each other. Now all of us
know that the child marriage is a criminal offence. A local newspaper reported that the newly wed child
couples were blessed by the Chief Minister himself and this created a furore in the state assembly. From
there, the news reached the political circles of New Delhi. Immediately after this incident, Krishna
happened to be present at a Iftaar party hosted by the Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi. There the
reporters trailed him and he plainly avoided the media. Then a reporter came to him all of a sudden and
told him that he wanted his interview regarding Bangalore becoming the hub of InformationTechnology
in India. Now this is an achievement and Krishna loved to talk about it. He fell into the trap. The reporter
(in this case a tv journo) asked him a few questions regarding that irrelevent subject and then his third
question struck Krishna like thunder and he could not escape it. I call it Baghon mein bahaar hai, based on
the popular bollywood song in which the hero lures the heroine by asking her a few insignificant
questions and then traps her into saying that she actually loves him.
Silent Treatment : At times, you are interviewing somebody. The interview is going fine and then it
comes to asking the interviewee an emotional question. This is a tricky situation. For example. Suppose
Shahrukh Khan wanted to join the Army, but he was rejected by the services. Now this is an emotional
subject for Khan. In the process of interviewing him – say on his latest movie, the reporter asks him a
question about his past; the fact that he wanted to join the Army. When he is asked this question, he stops
and doesn’t speak for few seconds. The reporter assumes that he does not want to speak on this issues and
moves on to the next question. This is something which a reporter should avoid. Give the interviewee
some time. It is more than often that he wants to speak about the issue, but it takes him some time to jog
through the memory lane and then answer a particular question. This is the silent treatment interview
technique.
The art of Interviewing
Journalists are writers, but writing is really only half their job. More difficult is the legwork of actually
finding out what you’re going to write about: the reporting. If you do a good job gathering information,
your story will be easier to write and more interesting to read.
Preparation
Research: Find out some basic information both about the person you’re interviewing and the topic
you’re interviewing the person about. Being at least semi-educated about the issue will help you establish
a semblance of professionalism and will also help you prepare better questions. “Non-interview sources”
on p. 8 for places to find this information.
Dress: This is entirely up to you. Just keep in mind that if we want to be taken seriously, we need to act
like it sometimes. That means that if you’re meeting with a trustee to discuss diversity on the faculty, you
might want to dress up a tiny bit.
Location: This depends on what you’re working on. If you’re writing a basic news article and you simply
need the facts from a busy administrator, just go to her office. On the other hand, if you’re doing a profile
on a student with an interesting hobby, you’ll get better notes if you actually arrange to go somewhere
with him and have him show you what he does.

Establish conditions: Tell the interviewee about how much of his or her time you think you’ll need. Talk
about recording if you think you’ll be using it. Ask the interviewee for anything you should read to better
prepare yourself for the interview. If you need to talk to someone off campus on the phone, talk to your
editor: the S&B has a long-distance code, which is a lot easier to use than to try to get reimbursed later
(though that’s also an option).
Prepare questions: There are two basic kinds of questions you’ll use in an interview—open-ended and
closed-ended. Open-ended questions allow the interviewee to be flexible and non-specific in answering.
They’re the “whys” and “hows” and “explains.” Keep in mind that vague questions invite vague answers.
Closed-ended questions pin down details. You don’t often get good quotes from closed-ended questions,
but you need to use them to make sure you have the correct information. An often-used strategy is to
alternate between closed-ended and open-ended questions, rephrasing each time in order to get the kind of
answer you need. Looking slightly stupid to the interviewee is much preferred to being wrong in print and
looking stupid to everyone.
Once you’re there Establish rapport: Think about the relationship you want to establish with the
interviewee. Chances are he or she will be slightly uncomfortable being interviewed so it’s often best to
start off with some sort of non-threatening (read: boring) small talk. If the person is busy, however, this
can backfire. It’s often good to tell the person why you’re talking to him or her; maybe somebody else
you talked to said that this person would be an important and trustworthy source. Maybe it’s important to
get their perspective in order to get a balanced view of the topic. If you have a reason for talking to this
person that might not be immediately apparent, get it out on the table.

Note-taking/taping: Note-taking often makes interviewee nervous, so be discreet. Learn or create a

shorthand of some sort or at least learn how to write in your notebook without having to look. There’s no
real way to learn to take good notes except by doing it a lot. You might try just taking notes from NPR or
a boring class: writing down quotes without looking at your page. It’ll get easier. Don’t be afraid to use
“could you say that again” or “just a sec” or “could you tell me more about ______” as stalling
mechanisms to buy yourself time to catch up when writing. These continuations will often provide you
with the greatest information from the interview because they invite the subject to say it again or to
continue in greater depth.
Confirm details: Even if you think you know how to spell everything and where it is and when and such,
ask anyway. We don’t want to be wrong. Get names spelled slowly, even easy ones (even Smith has been
known to be Smythe, for example), and recheck basic facts.
Don’t just listen for quotes: Use all your senses. You should have notes other than just what the person
said in your notebook. What was the person doing? looking at? What expressions were on his face?
What’s the setting? Were there sounds in the background? Even touch and smell can be useful. If you
need to take your reader to a setting, there’s nothing like the smell of fresh cut grass or hot asphalt.
Follow-up questions: Don’t be afraid to stray from your list of prepared questions. The interview should
not proceed exactly as you expected, so follow it where it (and the interviewee) leads. Just make sure that
you have covered everything you knew you needed to cover before you leave.
After you leave
Review your notes: If you tried not to look at your notebook while writing, it’s probably a mess. As soon
as you leave an interview, sit down, look at your notes and copy over what you think will be the
important quotes. It’s no fun to look at them the next day or whenever you want to write and find that you
have no idea what any of it says.
Go back: Don’t be afraid of returning to your source via phone, email or even another interview if you
have some holes that need to be filled or a later source brings up some issue you didn’t cover. Some
profile writers, in fact, swear by follow-up interviews: it’s often the only way to find the right facts to
bring a broad-ranging story into a coherent narrative. And again, it’s better to look dumb to your source
than to the whole campus when the paper comes out later.

News Agency
News agency, also called press agency/wire service/news service is an organization that gathers, writes,
and distributes news from around a nation or the world to newspapers, periodicals, radio and television
broadcasters, government agencies, and other users. It does not itself publish news but supplies news to
its subscribers. All of the mass media depend upon news agencies for the bulk of the news, including the
big newspapers and broadcast media that have extensive news gathering resources of their own.
The basic function of a news agency is to collect and distribute reports, photographs and video clippings
of current events to newspapers, magazines, television channels, radio stations and other subscribers.
News agencies set up their offices, communication networks and appoint correspondents in important
cities around the world. The agencies’ coverage should be fast, complete and accurate as well as fair,
objective and unbiased.
International news agencies -Agence France-Press (AFP), the Associated Press (AP), Reuters, DPA
(Deutsche Press Agentur) etc.
Indian news agency - Press Trust of India (PTI), United News of India (UNI), etc.

Exercises
1. What are the skills needs for journalist?
2. How can write a lead for a news story?
3. What are the preparations needs for an Interview?
4. What is investigative journalism?
5. How to write a news stories?
6. What are the new trends in reporting?
 Unit II

Objectives:
To get a better understanding in Writing for newspaper
To understand the different types of articles in newspaper

NEWS WRITING IS AN ART

There are different types of articles contained in a newspaper. Most news articles are news stories and
focus only on the facts but editorials and columns are not considered real news stories and usually reflect
the opinion of their writer. There are several types of news articles

 A local news article focuses on what's going on in your neighbourhood. An example of a local
news story would be an article on a city council meeting.
 A national news article focuses on what's happening in the country. An example of a national
news article would be an article on the Indian government passing a new bill.
 An international news article focuses on news that's happening outside the country. A story on an
influenza outbreak in China would be considered an international news story.
 A feature article is an article that is about "softer" news. A feature may be a profile of a person
who does a lot of volunteer work in the community or a movie preview. Feature articles are not
considered news stories.
 An editorial is an article that contains the writer's opinion. Editorials are usually run all together
on a specific page of the paper and focus on current events. Editorials are not considered news
stories.
 A column is an article written by the same person on a regular basis. A columnist (the writer of
the column) writes about subjects of interest to him/her, current events or community happenings.
Columns are not considered news stories (-No author).
There are certain aspects that characterize a newspaper article. These distinguishing features need to be
considered before writing about a topic in order to have a well structured article.

BASIC NEWS WRITING

The ABCs of news writing are Accuracy, Brevity and Clarity.
The first and most important is accuracy -- a story can be creative and compelling, but if it contains
errors, it is worthless. Actually, it is worse than worthless; a false news story undercuts the public trust
necessary for the survival of a free press. Keep in mind that the First Amendment specifically protects the
press from government control so that the public can receive accurate and unbiased information. The
public needs unbiased information to make intelligent choices in the voting booth. This is critical to the
process of democracy in our country. If the public loses faith in the accuracy and fairness of the press,
loss of faith in democracy will soon follow. Always check numbers, spellings of names, who said what,
and the other basic facts of any story. A reporter's job is to find out what is going on, then write a story
that's interesting and informative. Accuracy always comes first.

Second is brevity. Each word in your story should do a job. If not, take it out. Get to the point. Say it just
once. Don't be redundant. Don't say "8 a.m. in the morning," since 8 a.m. is in the morning. Just say 8
a.m. Or say 8 in the morning. Remember the inverted pyramid style of writing. Put the most important
fact in the lead. Hook the reader's attention. Explain the lead and then go on to the next most important
fact in the second inverted pyramid. And then the next. Lead up to an interesting finish. Don't just stop
writing when you run out of information.
Clarity starts before you write. Clarity starts with complete, competent reporting. You should understand
your subject so completely that your story leaves it crystal-clear in the reader's mind. Your story should
leave no questions unanswered. Avoid jargon. Explain anything that wouldn't be obvious to the average
person. The more information you gather, the more you have to sift through to determine what belongs in
the lead. The more you know, the harder it is to tell it quick and make it simple. It's only easy if you don't
know what you're talking about. No one said good reporting is easy.

THE GATEKEEPER
Who decides what stories will be printed in the Monitor? Who picks the stories for the 10 O'Clock News
on Channel 2? Journalists make those decisions, and when they do, they are performing their
"gatekeeper" function. They decide which stories to let through the "gate" and which to toss into the trash.
Journalists decide which stories are important enough to run on page one, and which ones run inside.
But the gatekeeper function also affects the way we write our stories. The reader looks to the journalist to
make sense out of a confusing world. It is the journalist's job to find out what's going on, then choose
from a notebook full of scribbles only those facts necessary to give the reader a clear, concise picture of
the most important events. Obviously, this process leaves some facts out of the story. You must be sure
that your story includes the most important information.
But for you to make that judgment, you have to learn everything possible about your subject, and that
means you will end up knowing a lot of less-important facts that will never make it into a news story. A
good reporter loves to dig into a story. The rule is: "Write 10 percent of what you know."

THE FIVE 'W's'

Every news story must cover the "Five W's:" Who, What, When, Where, Why and sometimes How and
So What? You don't have to cover all these in the lead, obviously, but usually you will address one or two
in the first graph. The rest should come soon. Make sure they are all covered somewhere in your story.

NEWS VALUES
What is news? The cliche is, when dog bites man, it's not news. When man bites dog, that's news. Critics
say, why is the newspaper always full of bad news? Because bad news is unusual, and no one wants to
read about ordinary events. "The Monitor adviser arrived on campus this morning and found things much
as he left them the night before." Who cares? If the adviser finds a mountain lion waiting for the elevator
in Building 5, then there's a story with photos.

News usually has at least one of these elements:

• Impact - Impact is determined by the number of people affected, the number of boats that sink,
the number of cars wrecked, etc. The more people affected, the more boats sunk, the bigger the impact of
the story.
• Proximity - The closer your audience is to the event, the greater its news value. If a train hits a
bus in Bangladesh, it may receive three column inches behind the sports section. If a train hits a bus on
Niles Canyon Road, the Argus will play it on page one.
• Timeliness - "New" is a big part of news. If it happened just before deadline, it's bigger news
than if it happened last week. Even "big" stories last only a week or so. News, like fish, is better fresh.
• Prominence - If it happens to the mayor, it is bigger news than if it happens to the Monitor
adviser. The public cares more about celebrities than they do about people they don't know. If President
Clinton goes jogging, reporters take pictures. If the Monitor adviser goes jogging, dogs bark, but no one
else notices. (This is fine with the adviser.)
• Novelty -If an event is unusual, bizarre, the first, the last, or once-in-a-lifetime, it is has more
news value than if it is something that happens all the time.
• Conflict - War, politics and crime are the most common news events of all. If everyone got
along, there wouldn't be much news.
 • Relevance- How does the story affect the reader? If there's no effect at all, maybe there's no
news.
• Usefulness - How can I use this information? Home, business and leisure news sections have
sprouted in newspapers in an attempt to give readers news they can really use.
• Human interest - A story may be weak on the other news values, but be interesting anyway. It
can be as simple as an interview with a fascinating person who does unusual things. If people are talking
about it, it's news, even if it doesn't meet the criteria of our other news values.

OBJECTIVITY/FAIRNESS
The reporter's job is to find out the truth and tell it, regardless of who might be made uncomfortable. The
reporter's responsibility, as implied by the First Amendment, is to serve only the reader.
The public needs unbiased information in order for democracy to succeed. That means that your stories
must be unbiased. Most reporters believe pure objectivity is impossible. When you select one word over
another, your judgments enter the story.
But fairness is possible, and fairness should be every reporter's goal. Fairness requires the reporter to
recognize his or her own biases in the story, and then consciously include all relevant points of view --
even ones that the reporter doesn't like, personally.
Always look for the "other side" in any story. If someone or some institution is accused of something by a
source in your story, you have an absolute obligation to contact the accused party and give them the
opportunity to respond. This should be done in the first story, not in some later "response" story.
Use neutral language. Avoid exclamation points. Don't say "our college" when referring to Ohlone. Say
Ohlone. Our tone should be one of the disinterested, but honest observer.

A reporter's credibility is the only guarantee the reader has of the story's accuracy. There are no
policemen in the newsroom forcing reporters to be accurate. The First Amendment wouldn't allow that. If
we write inaccurate or biased stories, the readers will stop trusting us. And if that happens, we all might as
well go into some other field.

THE LEAD
The lead is usually the toughest part of writing a story. The lead is the first word, sentence or paragraph of
the story. Sometimes it can be two or three paragraphs. Whatever its length, the lead has several important
jobs to do.
First, it must interest the reader in the rest of the story. Imagine the reader as impatient, with lots of other
things he or she could be doing instead of reading your story. Imagine the reader saying, "Get to the
POINT! Don't waste my time! Tell me the STORY!" If your reader were stranded on a desert island with
nothing to read but your story, you could probably get away with a vague, rambling lead. But today's
reader has a BART train to catch, the kids are fighting again and the TV never stops blaring. Your story
has tough competition.
Surveys have shown that most people say they get their news from TV, but many then turn to newspapers
for the details behind the headlines. Your job is to write a short, punchy, informative lead to attract
readers who have grown accustomed to TV's "sound bite" journalism. But then you must supply the
details, the insights, the context that TV doesn't have time for.

What are the rules for a good lead?

• Keep it short. News writing is always tight, but the lead calls for special care. Condense your story into
one sentence, then one phrase, then one word. Make sure that word is near the beginning of the lead. As a
general rule, no lead sentence should be longer than 10 words.
• Get to the point. What is the story about? Tell the reader in the lead. Don't say, "The city council met
last night." Tell the reader what the city council did. "Business taxes were raised a whopping 30
percent on a 6-1 vote of the city council last night." What's the story about? Taxes. So get taxes in the
lead.
• Focus on the action. Use the "active voice." Instead of saying something happened, say who did what to
who. Use the action word. If nobody did anything, it may not be a news story.
• Hook the reader. Put the most important, the most interesting, the most exciting thing in the lead. A
novel may take 100 pages to lead up to the climax of the story; a news story puts the climax first and then
explains what led up to it.
These rules are sometimes thrown out for feature leads, or "anecdotal leads" that start with a little story
that sets the scene for the point you are trying to make. But the lean, punchy news lead will work best on
most stories.

THE NUT GRAPH

Every story needs a "nut graph" that answers the question: Why am I writing this, and why do I think the
reader should read it? The best way to make sure your story has a point is to state it, simply, somewhere
near the top of the story. It doesn't have to say, "The point of this story is..." But if the story is about a
budget shortfall, a good nut graph might quote a district official on whether the shortfall would force an
increase in tuition.
How does the story affect the reader? That's what should be in the nut graph. If it doesn't affect the reader,
maybe it shouldn't be a news story.
QUOTES
Quotes bring a story to life. Let your sources tell the story. The reporter's voice in the story should outline
the main points and set the stage for the quotes. Quotes let your sources "talk" to the reader, giving a
personal impact that you can't get any other way in print.
But quotes should be special. Don't use quotes for information that can be more clearly explained in your
own words.
Only direct quotes are contained inside of quotation marks. Information inside quotation marks must be
the source's exact words. But another step is needed to achieve accuracy: The words inside the quotation
marks must also convey the intent of the speaker. To use the speaker's exact words to say something he or
she did not mean is to take the quote out of context. It is a serious complaint often made by sources. At
the end of the interview, always check quotes that you intend to use, and if you are unsure what the
speaker meant, ask.
The proper form for using a direct quote is: "I won't run for president," Dan Quayle said Thursday.
"But I may walk a little."
Notice that punctuation is inside the quote marks. The quote is attributed after the first sentence.
Try to minimize the use of partial quotes: When asked about his presidential plans, Quayle said he
"won't run." The first example, using the full quote, is both more interesting and more accurate. The
partial quote leaves a false impression.

TRANSITIONS
Each paragraph in your story should flow naturally from the one before it. If you have gathered enough
information, and if your lead is strong enough, you may find that your story seems to "write itself,"
flowing naturally from beginning to end.
But other stories seem "choppy," with the narrative taking jags and loops that could lose or confuse the
reader.
Transitions smooth out those jags and make the story easier to read. Here are some guidelines:
• Make sure your story elements are presented in a logical order. The most common order is the
chronological order. This happened, then this happened, then this happened. For the sake of variety, you
want to use the word "then" no more than once.
• Use introductions as transitions between speakers. For example: Ed Smith, professor of biology at
Ohlone, disagrees with the idea that frozen yogurt causes split ends. "That's the craziest idea I've
ever heard," he said.
• Set the scene for a new area of discussion. Don't just start in a new direction without notifying the
reader. For example: Meanwhile, a group of Ohlone instructors have been developing another
theory, one based on experiments with bananas. "We think we're on to something," said Professor
Harold Foote.

ENDINGS
Although the news writing style tries to put the most important information in the beginning, in order to
draw in readers, it is also important to save something for a good ending.
A good ending gives a "rounded out" feeling to a story, especially if the end makes reference to
information in the lead. For instance, in a story by a Monitor staff member about a young man trying to
quit gang crime and turn his life around, the ending was: Valle gave a convincing "yes" when asked if
he is going to graduate from college. This means that he will have to see his mother cry again,
although this time he will see her from a stage while he is wearing a cap and gown, holding a
diploma in his hand.
The lead had talked about how his mother cried when he received a scholarship to attend college, shortly
after he had been released from jail. The ending made a smooth reference to the lead, tying the story
together.

OTHER STUFF
Avoid one-source stories. Talk to as many people as possible in the time you have for reporting. Make
sure you leave enough time for the writing portion of the story. How do you know when you've done
"enough" reporting, talked to enough sources, read enough reports? Experience will teach you the answer,
and it will be a lot more than you thought at the beginning.
The news reporter's job has three parts: Reporting, writing and meeting deadlines. All three are
important, but news reporting couldn't exist without deadlines. The deadline is your discipline. Learn to
meet deadlines, learn how to gather information, and the writing style will come eventually.

There is a broad, clear distinction between news writing and advertising. Use your normal objectivity and
fairness when writing about advertisers, even if they push you for a "positive" story, and threaten to pull
their advertising if they don't get it. Our focus is on the reader. Our job is to write truthful, fair stories, and
sensible advertisers will respect that. The same applies to our college administration. We must always
give all sides of a story, and we must ask for reaction from all interested parties, but our job is to report
the news objectively, regardless of who is involved.
Make sense out of numbers. A number is meaningless without a comparison. If enrollment grew 5
percent this fall, how does that compare to last fall? How does it compare to the average fall semester?
Story-telling is part of being human. We try to understand experience by turning it into a story. We use
the story to remember the experience, and to share the experience with others. We learn through stories.
News is a special type of story, one that presents facts without the storyteller’s judgment.

HOW TO WRITE A NEWS LEAD

1. Condense story into one or two words. Put those words as close to the beginning of the first sentence as
possible without destroying the flow of the lead sentence.
2. Keep leads short — 20 to 30 words for the first sentence. Or fewer.
3. The news lead should tell the reader what the story is about and be interesting enough to draw the
reader into the rest of the story. Remember that the readers won’t know what the story is about until you
tell them.
4. Find the action in the story. Put the action in the lead.
5. Always double-check names and numbers. Check spelling, style and grammar. Put everything in order.
6. Attribute opinions. Stick with the facts.
7. Details, description. Report first, then write. Learn all, tell 10 percent.
8. Decide which of the news values best applies to the lead of the story. Write a lead that emphasizes that
news value.
9. Write in the active voice.
10. Don’t lead with a name, time or place unless that is the most interesting/important thing in the story.

ELEMENTS OF GOOD WRITING

1. Precision - Use the right word. Say exactly what you mean. Be specific. Avoid sexism in your writing.
Use generic terms: firefighters instead of firemen, letter carriers instead of mailmen.
2. Clarity - Use simple sentences. Noun, verb. Think clearly, then write. Watch grammar and
punctuation.
3. Pacing - Movement of sentences create a tone, mood for the story. Long sentences convey relaxed,
slow mood. Short declarative sentences convey action, tension, movement. Use variety of sentence
lengths. Use shorter sentences when writing about the more active, tense part of the story.
4. Transitions - Progress logically from point to point. Put everything in order.
5. Sensory appeal - Appeal to one or more of our five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. What
does it sound like? Was the room too hot? Could you smell the cooking outside on the walkway? Did the
person speak slowly and carefully, or rapidly, with confidence?
6. Using analogies - Describe it as being “like” or “as” something that is familiar to readers.

ACTIVE VOICE, PASSIVE VOICE

Voice is that inflection of a verb that shows whether its subject is the doer of the action indicated or is
acted upon. If the subject performs the action, the verb is in the active voice. If the subject is acted upon,
the verb is in the passive voice.
Active voice is dynamic. Passive voice is static. Active voice is vigorous and emphasizes the actor.
Passive voice is evasive about naming the actor. News writing should almost always be in the active voice
because news is about action and actors. To test for the active voice, find the subject and verb in the
sentence. Put the subject before the verb so that the subject takes action: Jill hit the ball, not: The ball was
hit by Jill.

PROFICIENCY IN LANGUAGE
Words are the basic building blocks of journalism. One should respect the words and follow the way these
are arranged and strung together. Misplaced words could twist the meaning of a sentence. Hence, one
should pay attention to punctuation marks, grammar and syntax. All these are important in sentence
construction. The comma plays an important role in punctuation. This little mark causes more trouble
than the rest put together. Consider these examples:

Ram says Raj is an idiot.

Ram, says Raj, is an idiot.

Observe how the placement of the comma has changed the meaning of the sentence. We should
remember that commas define relationships within a sentence.
Punctuation marks bring in clarity and make a piece of writing readable. However, too many punctuation
marks may clutter up a story. There should be no comma after a verb, unless it is immediately followed
by a parenthesis.

One of the areas of punctuation in which mistakes are often made is the dash and the hyphen. These serve
two nearly opposite purposes, but are often mixed up. A dash is used to create a pause for emphasis, or to
provide an abrupt change of thought, or to introduce a phrase or clause in parenthesis. Hence, a dash
separates and is spaced; whereas, a hyphen joins the two, often unconnected, ideas. It is not spaced, and is
half the size of a dash.
Newspaper language has to be simple and precise. A copy editor or sub-editor editing a news story has to
remove the rough edges from the copy and polish it to make it presentable. The language has to be
adjusted to the style of the newspaper.

Newspapers and news organisations follow their own style. It is used to maintain consistency and
credibility of a newspaper. If ‘p’ in the word parliament is written in capital letters at some places and in
small letter at other places, it may affect the reader sub-consciously.

For example:
Doom Dooma : Doomdooma
Analyse : Analyze

Only one of the above should be followed consistently.

A newspaper reader in the morning is in a great hurry. A news story should be in a familiar language so
that it runs smoothly through the average reader’s mind. Simple, direct sentences are more attractive.
Long sentences with clauses, exclamations, interjections, quotations, allusions, metaphors etc. should be
avoided.

Unfamiliar words and jargon (expressions used in a particular discipline like law, medicine etc) should be
avoided as far as possible. Words not commonly used should be explained in simple language.

Some Latin and Greek expressions used in law, medicine, biology etc. have become part of the English
vocabulary through usage. If these are readily understood they may be used without explanation, but if
they have a popular English equivalent that should be preferred.

Obscene and vulgar language should be totally avoided. They should be cut out even from direct
quotations. Slang and colloquialism should at best be avoided.
Active voice is preferred to passive voice in writing as passive voice have a deadening effect. For
example, the sentence, ‘The directors will meet next week’ is preferable to ‘A meeting will be held by
directors next week’. However, in certain circumstances the passive voice is useful, where the deed is
more important than the doer. ‘A general strike has been called for tomorrow by …… to protest against
……’ is better than ‘The …. has called a general strike for tomorrow in protest against…’.
All names in the copy should be properly identified as far as possible. Where the subject of a copy has
multiple identification, that is, he or she is currently holding should be mentioned in the first instance, the
others can be suitably mentioned in later parts of the copy. If the subject does not hold any office
currently, he or she has to be identified by the former office.

Adjectives and epithets should be used in proper context and sparingly. No adjective or any other
expression that smacks of bias, involves a value judgement should be used. For example, while reporting
a police firing one can say, ‘The police had to open fire….’, or ‘…. was forced to open fire’. The correct
way to give a factual narration is, ‘The police opened fire’. However, if a minister or an official states that
the police had to open fire, it may be reported as such.

Quotations should be used sparingly to highlight important aspects of a story. Sometimes a couple of
words within quotation marks are more effective than a whole sentence.
In reporting statements or speeches the safest verb is ‘said’. There is no harm if it appears repeatedly in a
copy. Verbs that can be substituted for ‘said’ are : stated, declared, remarked, observed, averred, affirmed,
pointed out, told, informed, admitted, alleged, denied, rejected, disclosed, revealed.

EDITORIAL WRITING
Editorial pages are traditionally associated with a newspaper’s sense of dignity and credibility. Some
editors and publishers consider the editorial page the sanctuary of the publication – an area where little
experimenting is permissible. The nature of the contents makes the editorial page an ideal spot to lure
readers through the use of graphics. The editorial page expresses a newspaper’s opinion. It is its voice,
and a strong one, for persuading the reader to take a course of action. On any given day it becomes the
medium for a variety of opinions on timely or philosophical issues.

What is an editorial?
An editorial is one of the writing styles used to express an opinion or reaction to timely news, event or an
issue of concern. Most editorials are used to influence readers to think or act the same way the writer
does. Not all editorials take sides on an issue but have one of the following four purposes:
1. Inform: The writer gives careful explanations about a complicated issue.
2. Promote: Writer tries to promote a worthy activity. Get the reader involved.
3. Praise: The writer praises a person or an event.
4. Entertain: The writer encourages or entertains the reader about an important issue.
Organizing it
1. Select a topic that is specific, timely and of interest to readers.
2. Have a purpose in mind. What are you going to tell people to do or think?
3. Be sure you fully understand your topic.
Research -- get reliable information. Use newspapers, magazines, library, Internet, etc.
4. Ask yourself: Has the newspaper run a news story about this topic? Should it, before we
editorialize?
Writing it
1. State an opinion in the first sentence. Editorials have leads, just like news stories. They
tell readers where you're headed. Keep the lead short and concise.
2. Develop the body using facts. Build a strong case. Don't use more details from the
news story than needed to build your case. Get in and get out.
3. Document quotes and sources, just as you would in a news story.
4. Avoid a preachy tone. Criticism should be constructive and offer a solution.
5. Remember that the best way to win an argument is to lay out the opposing argument,
then shoot holes in it. Then, tell why your solution is better.
6. Anticipate questions and objections to your argument. Answer them.
7. Write in third-person voice. Don't say "We think ..."
8. Remember, short editorials usually are more effective than long ones. Readers stay
interested.
9. Suggest a solution, or an action, in the final sentence.
9a. If you're telling people to take action, tell them how. For instance, if you tell readers
to write their congressman, give the address and e-mail address. Don't make them
go look it up. They won't.
10. Don't neglect the headline. Think of it as an important part of your editorial. It is.
Other tips
Never write an editorial without research. You might write one in anger once in a while, but don't run it
without letting your anger cool, then reviewing what you wrote.
Have an early enough deadline for editorials that there's sufficient time for another editor to review what
you wrote. Last-minute, hurried editorials tend to be the weakest.

Sample of what could go into the five paragraph editorial:

 a personal experience, the thesis statement

 explanation of the other side of the issue
  examples to support your point of view
 reasons for your point of view
 the last paragraph should restate your thesis statement and end on a positive note
Structure of an Editorial
Editorials are written according to a well-established formula.
1. Introduction - state the problem
2. Body - expresses an opinion
3. Solution - offers a solution to the problem
4. Conclusion - emphasizes the main issue
Here are some additional tips on structuring your opinion story.
1. Lead with an Objective Explanation of the Issue/Controversy. Include the five W's and the H. Pull in
facts and quotations from sources which are relevant.
2. Present Your Opposition First. As the writer you disagree with these viewpoints. Identify the people
(specifically who oppose you). Use facts and quotations to state objectively their opinions. Give a strong
position of the opposition. You gain nothing in refuting a weak position.
3. Directly Refute The Opposition's Beliefs. You can begin your article with transition. Pull in other facts
and quotations from people who support your position. Concede a valid point of the opposition which will
make you appear rational, one who has considered all the options.
4. Give Other, Original Reasons/Analogies. In defense of your position, give reasons from strong to
strongest order. Use a literary or cultural allusion that lends to your credibility and perceived intelligence.
5. Conclude With Some Punch.Give solutions to the problem or challenge the reader to be informed. A
quotation can be effective, especially if from a respected source. A rhetorical question can be an effective
concluder as well. While it ridicules or makes fun of a subject with the intent of improving it.

Four Types of Editorials

1. Editorials of argument and persuasion take a firm stand on a problem or condition. They attempt to
persuade the reader to think the same way. This editorial often proposes a solution or advises taking some
definite action.
2. Editorials of informaiton and interpretation attempt to explain the meaning or significance of a situation
or news event. There is a wide variety of editorials in this category, ranging from those which provide
background information to those which identify issues.
3. Editorials of tribute, appreciation or commendation praise a person or an activity.
4. Editorials of entertainment have two categories. One is the short humorous treatment of a light topic.
The second is a slightly satirical treatment of a serious subject. (Satire is the use of sarcasm or keen wit to
denounce abuses or follies. While it ridicules or makes fun of a subject with the intent of improving it.)

How to write an opinion piece?

Think of an opinion piece as a persuasive essay : the writer has an opinion or a point of view on an issue
and he or she wants to convince the reader to agree. This is not as easy as it may seem.
● You must research your topic and find out what ’ s happening and what went on in the past.
● You must know the facts and be able to refer to them in your argument.
Pretend you are a lawyer and you are making a case before a jury. You will want to convince the
members of the jury to believe that your client is right . Therefore you need to present as much evidence
as you can that proves the point. You can do the same when you write a column or editorial.
1. start with a basic premise or theme.
2. use facts and details to back up your opinion and help you make your case.
3. Leave your readers with a lasting impression – a strong point that will make them consider your point
of view.
4. Don ’ t need to preach to thereader. A good editorial will make readers take notice of the
situation and form their own opinions on the issue.

Story Topics
The possible topics for editorials and columns are almost endless because everyone has an opinion on
everything! They could include:
● legal or political issues such as gun control or Canada ’ s economy, minority rights or
International politics.
● issues facing people in your own community — such as a decision to demolish a historic building or the
controversy surrounding a new law against skateboarding.
Opinions are based on what you have read and what you already know or believe. Then you can put those
views down in an editorial or column of your own!
Here are some additional tips on structuring your opinion story.
1. Lead with an Objective Explanation of the Issue/Controversy. Include the five W's and the H. Pull in
facts and quotations from sources, which are relevant.
2. Present Your Opposition First. As the writer you disagree with these viewpoints. Identify the people
(specifically who oppose you). Use facts and quotations to state objectively their opinions. Give a strong
position of the opposition. You gain nothing in refuting a weak position.
3. Directly Refute The Opposition's Beliefs. You can begin your article with transition. Pull in other facts
and quotations from people who support your position. Concede a valid point of the opposition, which
will make you appear rational, one who has considered all the options.
4. Give Other, Original Reasons/Analogies. In defense of your position, give reasons from strong to
strongest order. Use a literary or cultural allusion that lends to your credibility and perceived intelligence.
5. Conclude With Some Punch. Give solutions to the problem or challenge the reader to be informed.
A quotation can be effective, especially if from a respected source. A rhetorical question can be an
effective concluder as well. While it ridicules or makes fun of a subject with the intent of improving it.

How to write an opinion piece?

Think of an opinion piece as a persuasive essay: the writer has an opinion or a point of view on an issue
and he or she wants to convince the reader to agree. This is not as easy as it may seem.
You must research your topic and find out what’s happening and what went on in the past. You must
know the facts and be able to refer to them in your argument.
Pretend you are a lawyer and you are making a case before a jury. You will want to convince the
members of the jury to believe that your client is right. Therefore you need to present as much evidence as
you can that proves the point. You can do the same when you write a column or editorial.
Here’s an example:
Let’s say you want to write an editorial supporting capital punishment. You want to convince your
readers that someone who commits murder should receive a death sentence. The first thing you have to do
is start collecting the facts. When did Canada put an end to capital punishment? What were the arguments
used to do that? · when did people start talking about re-introducing the death penalty? ·What cases have
prompted debate on this issue? What examples can they find to support their argument for capital
punishment? You must also consider the other side of the argument.· What would people who oppose the
death penalty say? · How would they respond to their points?
• Start with a basic premise or theme.
• Use facts and details to back up your opinion and help you make your case.
• Leave your readers with a lasting impression -- a strong point that will make them consider your point of
view.
• Don’t need to preach to the reader. A good editorial will make readers take notice of the situation and
form their own opinions on the issue.
Story Topics
The possible topics for editorials and columns are almost endless because everyone has an opinion on
everything! They could include:
• Legal or political issues such as gun control or Canada’s economy, minority rights or international
politics.
• Issues facing people in your own community — such as a decision to demolish a historic building or the
controversy surrounding a new law against skateboarding.
Form your own opinions. Opinions are based on what you have read and what you already know or
believe. Then you can put those views down in an editorial or column of your own!

FEATURE STORY
A news feature takes one step back from the headlines. It explores an issue. News features are less time-
sensitive than hard news but no less newsworthy. They can be an effective way to write about complex
issues too large for the terse style of a hard news item. Street kids are a perfect example. The stories of
their individual lives are full of complexities, which can be reflected, in a longer piece.
Features are journalism's shopping center. They're full of interesting people, ideas, color, lights, action
and energy. Storytelling at its height! A good feature is about the people in your community and their
struggles, victories and defeats. A feature takes a certain angle (i.e. Black youth returning to church) and
explores it by interviewing the people involved and drawing conclusions from that information. The
writer takes an important issue of the day and explains it to the reader through comments from people
involved in the story.
Hint: Remember to "balance" your story. Present the opinions of people on both sides of an issue and let
the readers make their own decision on who to believe. No personal opinions are allowed. The quotes
from the people you interview make up the story. You are the narrator.
If you ask the question "how and why" things happen, then you probably like reading feature stories in
newspapers and magazines.
What is a feature story?
A feature takes an in-depth look at what’s going on behind the news.
It gets into the lives of people.
It tries to explain why and how a trend developed.
Unlike news, a feature does not have to be tied to a current event or a breaking story. But it can grow out
of something that’s reported in the news.
It may be a profile of a person or a group -- an athlete, a performer, a politician, or a community worker
or a team, a choir or a political organization. Or perhaps it’s an in-depth look at a social issue -- like
violence in Canadian schools or eating disorders among young women. It could also be a story that gives
the reader background on a topic that’s in the news -- like a story that explains how land mines work and
the history of their use in war.
A feature story is usually longer than a news story -- but length is not a requirement! What’s more
important is the form the story takes.
Think of the feature as the journalistic equivalent of an essay. Follow these guidelines:
Start with a premise or theme
Present information and opinions that back you point,
Bring the reader to a conclusion.
The feature often explores several different points of views, even when the story is about one particular
person.
The story behind the news
Here’s an example of how a feature can explain and explore a story that makes news:
Your local newspaper reports on the front page that school enrollments are dropping in your small
community. The reason? Many people are being forced to leave the town to look for jobs in bigger cities
and obviously, their children go with them. As a reporter you can go beyond the facts and figures in the
news story by talking to one of the families who are leaving. How do they feel? What made them decide
to go? What will they miss about home? What are they expecting in their new community? How do the
children feel about leaving their school and their friends? Or you can look at the story from the point of
view of the people who remain in the town. What’s it like to lose friends and family to far-away cities?
How does it affect the school? What about the local economy?
The news story tells the audience what happened. The feature will tell them why and how it happened,
how the people involved are reacting, and what impact the decision is having on other people.
Personality in profile
Indulge your curiosity -- and that of your readers -- with a profile of an interesting person. You can look
at someone who’s making news in your community, province or country. Or it could be someone who's
relatively unknown to the public but who has done something unusual or remarkable.
Here’s one example:
Your town elects a full slate of councillors to represent and serve the community. One is a 19-year-old
student who was active in youth parliament and student politics. That makes him the youngest elected
official in your province. But that’s not the whole story! He gets the most votes of any of the councillors,
and according to the election rules, that makes him deputy mayor. What’s it like to be a politician when
you’re still in your teens? What does your life experience add to the council? Are you seen as a
spokesman for your generation -- but not the community as a whole? What do the other councillors think
of their young colleague? Do people take you seriously?
That young politician may not be famous. But he’s certainly done something new. And his experiences
will be something that others will want to learn more about. Take a look at people from the world of
sports, entertainment, politics, science, technology, business, health, international development,
community activism, education, the military, the fine arts or any other field that interests you.
You can choose a subject and find out the basic facts of the person’s life and work. What have they
learned so far? Are there any surprises? Is there an area of this person's life or work that the student would
now like to focus on?
Write your profile by telling your readers the facts of this person's life — while adding the color and
details that make them unique. Talk to the person themselves whenever possible and use their own words
to help tell their story.
Tracking a trend
Many of the best stories come from reporters’ observations of the world around them. Here’s just one
example of how you can come across a great feature story in your daily life:
YOU are hanging around with friends at lunchtime and talking about plans for the weekend. Someone
says they’ve heard that the town council is considering a curfew for teens. Everyone under 16 has to be
off the streets by 11pm on weekends. You have your own curfew - set by your parents - but you are
surprised to learn that the mayor wants to put one in place for everyone.
You talk to some of your friends to find out what they think. You and other concerned teens go over to
the town hall and ask the mayor or one of the councillors why they see the need for a curfew. You surf the
Net and find out what other towns and cities have been doing. You find that this is a bit of trend in North
America. What you now have is the basis for a really interesting feature. You have taken a little piece of
information and investigated further to find out what’s going on. The story will focus on the issue and the
thoughts and feeling of the people involved — namely local teenagers and the people who made the
decision about the curfew.
Feature writing tips
The basic guidelines for good writing apply to all types of writing. However, if you expect to hold your
reader’s attention for 1,000 words or more, your writing must be must be lively, specific and clear.
As a student writer you have to start with a led that captures your reader’s attention.
It could be an anecdote you have heard during the course of your research.
It could be a description of a person, place or thing that draws the reader in and encourages them to learn
more.
It could a newsy lede that highlights the point of the story.
Move your story along with descriptions of what happened, quotes from people involved in the issue, and
details that place the reader in the midst of the action. Make sure your ending is meaningful. Your closing
words should make an impact on your readers and tie the various strands of your story together.
A powerful quote can often make for a good ending. Or you may want to come full circle and refer back
to a word or an image used in your opening sentences.
Feature Writing Techniques
Feature Story vs. News Story Hard news stories move briskly through the five W's and the H, packing in
just enough detail to give readers a clear picture of the news. Immediacy is everything in hard news.
In features, the immediacy of the event is secondary. It's replaced by reader interest. Elaboration,
interpretation, mood, context, detailed description, emotion, irony and humor surround bare facts.
The goal of a feature story is to communicate the truth -- not fiction -- in a different way than a hard news
story.
Writing Process
Story Ideas, Feature story ideas come from every-where -- from your editor, personal observation,
conversations overheard in the dining facility, etc.
Once you have a story idea, decide exactly what focus you want to emphasize. Your focus is the angle
you want for the story.
Remember your audience -- who you're writing for when writing features.
Collecting the Information Always do background research for your story, if possible. You must have a
clear idea of your subject before you set the interview.
Plan your questions
Always collect more information than you need. It’s better than not enough. Capture the emotion. People
want to know how your subject feels about why he/she does something. Use all your senses. See, hear,
smell, touch, taste. Make notes of how people move,
dress, speak, etc. Observe. Train yourself to notice everything.
Write the story Use descriptive verbs and nouns instead of adverbs and adjectives. Use only the best
quotes. The quotes must SAY or SHOW something. Be specific in description. Create a detailed picture
the reader can SEE.
Revise and rewrite Write the story, then polish it. Test your story by asking "What is this story about?"
Your lead and focus transition should answer that question.

Figurative language helps recreate scenes or sensations. It’s how a writer shows vs. tells the story.
Devices include:
Metaphor An implied comparison between two unlike things. (EXAMPLE: To the soldiers in his unit,
Jacobs walks on water."
Simile A stated comparison between two unlike things. (EXAMPLE: The borders in Israel shift almost as
often as the sands in the Judean Hills.)
Personification Giving life-like characterists to something lifeless. (Example: The fog crept in on tiny cat
feet.)
Hyperbole Emphasizing something by deliberately overstating or understating it. (Example: "I was so
embarrassed I could have died.".)
Good feature stories contain anecdotes, description, attributive verbs and direct quotes.
10 Don'ts of Feature Writing
1. Don't patronize. It can sneak into stories with the best of intentions. It's the unit anniversary -- or
holiday messages -- that amount to no more than one pat on the head indistinguishable from others like it.
2. Don't scold. Avoid printing sortie comparisons, safety statistics, or unit fund drive results. They merely
serve to alienate those at the bottom -- and those usually the ones you need to reach most.
3. Don't preach. Talk about your unit's achievements and philosophy in case histories, employee profiles,
photos and interviews instead of a commander's thoughts on pride, leadership, dedication, integrity, etc.
Adults preach to their children, not their co-workers.
4. Don't be indifferent. The statement, "Our employees will play a very key role in dramatic changes
planned in the future. We've really only scratched the surface. Customer satisfaction is high, and we're
committed to increased quality and productivity in the future," can be added to the end of almost any
feature. Printing 50 photos of Airman Smith and his Airman of the Quarter Award would be an
improvement.
5. Don't mislead. Don't betray your readers' trust by using a tricky or misleading introduction or
headlines. (i.e., "Sex ... now that I've got your attention . . .")
6. Don't write EVERYTHING. Yes, start at the beginning of the story, but don't put it into cosmic,
historical perspective. (i.e., "I've found Kunte Kinte . . .")
7. Don't expound your philosophy. Save your philosophy minor for the bar or church. If you write an
editor's column, keep it job-related -- or humorous.
8. Don't turn over the keys to the kingdom. If you have an art director or publication designer, take him or
her to lunch. Design exists for words. Everything else serves them. As Oscar Wilde said about dead fish
in the moonlight, "it glistens, but it stinks."
9. Don't be vulgar. Use good judgment and discretion and avoid printing stories that are unworthy of your
unit. That's the job of the National Enquirer. Don't avoid bad news, however. You can talk about
alcoholism, drugs, AIDS, sexual harassment and other sensitive subjects if you include information on
how/where to get help.
10. Don't get frustrated. You're not an investigative reporter; you work for your unit newspaper.
Remember that, and you'll sleep better at night.
Top 10 Tips for Feature Writing
1. Tell the story through people, even leading with how a trend or news event affects a real person.
2. Look for the telling or entertaining anecdote, but don't force it.
3. Be creative. Use descriptive phrasing and strong, action verbs, but don't overwrite.
4. Be clear and punchy. Shoot for sentences of 20 words or less. If you must write a longer sentence,
follow it up with a short one.
5. Avoid trite, declarative phrases that state the obvious or recycle well-worn sayings. Dull!
6. Select only the liveliest or most interesting quotes. Don't stack quotes or quote mundane information
that you can paraphrase.
7. Avoid "mystery novel" intros. Set the tone, but get to the root of the story before the reader loses
interest.
8. Avoid passive phrasing. Remember, Clark Gable didn't say, "Frankly my dear, a damn is not given by
me!"
9. Keep your focus and pace your story, don't just empty your notebook. End with an impact quote or
thought that ties it all together.
10. Give the audience a reason to care. If the first several graphs bore you, chances are it will bore others,
too.

FREELANCE JOURNALIST
A freelance writer is a writer who works on a self-employed basis. They can work for just one magazine
or, more often, they write for several different publications at a time. The more diverse a writer can be,
the more likely they are to be published and paid for their work.
Some journalists focus on specific areas such as:
 sport
 fashion
 environment
 business, etc.

Others concentrate on topical day-to-day news, finding relevant stories from home and abroad to report
on. Journalists can work for magazines, newspapers, TV and radio. They are employed either full or part-
time and receive a regular wage, much like any other job. They usually work a set number of hours from
the publications offices and they’ll probably discuss what they are going to cover with the editor before
they start reporting.

Exercise
1. What is news values, why news values are more important for a news?
2. What are the rules for a good lead?
3. How to write a news story without any ambiguity?
4. Describe different kinds of articles in news paper?
5. What is feature news?
6. How to write a editorial piece for newspaper or magazine?
 Unit III
Objectives:
To better understanding to the importance of Editing
To understand the role of Editors in the organizations
To get better understanding of the structure of Editorial department

Editing
In a news organization, editing plays a vital role. News reports written in a hurry by reporters have to be
checked and improved by a team of editors. These copies are checked for grammar, syntax, facts, figures
and sense. Editing is tailoring news items or a news story to the required shape and size using the right
kind of expressions and symbols. A copy is edited to highlight the ‘news sense’ in a story and to bring
uniformity of language and style in an issue of a newspaper. Editors look out for certain news values in a
copy like proximity, timeliness, prominence, consequence and human interest while selecting a news item
for publication. A news item is selected keeping in view its interest to a large number of readers and its
impact on them.

In the editing process, each newspaper has its own set of rules that are enforced. These rules are contained
in a small book called the stylebook. The copy editor handling a news copy also has to write the headline
for it, using limited words within the allotted space. Similarly, layout editors have to allot space for
photographs, maps, charts and graphs to go along with the news items. The language of photo captions,
maps, graphs and charts are different from the language used in the text and headline and have to be
mastered. A copy editor has to be well-versed in editing symbols to correct the copy, besides, he should
be capable of rewriting a poorly written story if it is of interest to the readers.

All incoming 'news items, collectively called copy, is sifted, before being processed, to achieve a balance
of, news between that originating within the organisation and that pouring in from outside. Sorting out
and sifting also helps induce parity between the well-written articles and. those written by the
inexperienced reporters. In the process, the unwanted matter gets weeded out. Only-me newsworthy
stories are finally selected. These are checked for grammar, syntax, facts, figures, and sense, and also
clarified for betterment, and are condensed for economy of space.
News editing is tailoring news items or a news story to the required shape and size, using the right kind of
expressions and symbols. A copy, is edited to highlight the "news sense" in a story and to bring
uniformity of language and style in an issue of newspaper. The newsroom in a newspaper or a news
agency office is the hub of the entire activity in a news organisation. The Editorial Desk (also known as
the Editorial Department or Copy Desk or News Desk) is the nerve centre of a newsroom. It is here that
every day the newspaper issues are planned and made.
However, in a news agency, the news desk is the final stop before a story is sent to the transmission room
or creed room for transmission on the wires. In news agencies, there news operations are computerized,
such as the Press Trust of India (PTI) or the united News of India (UNI), the edited copy is transmitted
directly to the newspapers by the News Desk itself. The 'newsroom is headed by an editor or a chief
editor or an editor-in-chief or a chief news editor. The designation varies according to the choice of the
organization. He plans and directs the day's' news operations. He is supported by a team consisting of the
news editors, chief sub-editors (chief sub), senior sub-editors and sub-editors (sub).
The news desk usually operates in three' shifts: morning, afternoon and night (till late in the evening, even
up to 2.30 a.m.). In between, there are two link shifts-morning and evening-which are headed by the news
editors and or chief subs. They are also called 'slot' men. Ideally, in a newspaper, it is the news editor who
plans and directs page making, while the chief sub helps and implements it.
Editing is the process of preparing language, images, or sound for presentation through correction,
condensation, organization, and other modifications. A person who edits is called an editor.

STRUCTURE OF THE EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT

The main functions of the editorial department are:
I. Collection of news.
II. Selection of news and features.
III. Editing of news and features.
IV. Interpretation of the news.
V. Editorial and selection of lead articles.

Newspapers
Editors at newspapers supervise journalists and improve their work. Newspaper editing
encompasses a variety of titles and functions. These include:
 Copy editors
 Department editors
 Managing editors and assistant or deputy managing editors (the managing editor is often
second in line after the top editor)
 News editors, who oversee the news desks
 Photo or picture editors
 Section editors and their assistants, such as for business, features, and sports
 Editorial Page Editor who oversees the coverage on the editorial page. This includes
chairing the Editorial Board and assigning editorial writing responsibilities. The editorial
page editor may also oversee the op-ed page or those duties are assigned to a separate op-
ed editor.
 Top editors, who may be called editor in chief or executive editor
 Readers' editors, sometimes known as the ombudsman, who arbitrate complaints
 Wire editors, who choose and edit articles from various international wire services, and
are usually part of the copy desk
 Administrative editors (who actually don't edit but perform duties such as recruiting and
directing training)
 The term city editor is used differently in North America, where it refers to the editor
responsible for the news coverage of a newspaper's local circulation area (also sometimes
called metro editor), and in the United Kingdom, where (normally with a capital C) it
refers to the editor responsible for coverage of business in the City of London and, by
extension, coverage of business and finance in general.
 Gatekeepers & News Gatherers at a Major Newspaper
 Publisher - The owner or ownership's representative.
 Editor - The person who sets the tone for the news content of the newspaper, from
editorials to columns to news stories.
 Managing editor - The manager of news operations, second in command to the editor.
The managing editor and his/her assistants are in charge of day-to-day operations and it is
her/his job to make sure that the newspaper presents a fair and complete picture of the
news of importance or interest to readers. The details are delegated to sub-editors and
staff.
 Editorial page editor - The person in charge of the editorial page.
 Chief news editor - This editor is responsible for national and world news stories. There
often also is a news editor, a national editor and a world editor.
 Department editors - These people are in charge of specific subjects and/or sections such
as business, sports, lifestyles, entertainment, etc. Each department has writers/reporters
who work on that specific beat.
 City editor - The director of the newspaper’s local news operation. He/she may assign
reporters to cover stories. Some newspapers have an assignment editor to do that.
 Staff writers - These writers/reporters may be assigned to stories on various beats.
  Copy editor - A worker on a copy desk who edits and sometimes re-writes stories. Copy
editors work around a desk called a rim and edit stories for all the news pages.
 Columnists - Writers of signed stories of opinion or analysis. They are sometimes printed
with a photograph of the columnist. Columnists can be on staff at the newspaper and/or
they can syndicate their columns to a number of newspapers.
 Correspondents - Non-staff reporters who send in news from outside.
 Stringers - Part-time correspondents, usually paid by the number or length of stories
published.

The Editorial Department is responsible for providing news and allied reading matter for the newspaper.
It includes news, and many other subordinate sections. Reporters gather news from different places in the
country and also from abroad. :Photography. section provides photographs. Cartoonists supply sketches
of personalities and events. Editorial and special writers contribute articles, including feature articles.
Editors also obtain special articles, illustrations and features from outside the organisation for publication
in their newspaper.

The editorial staff provides material for publication and prepares the subject matter called 'copy 'for the
printer and the engraver. Big newspapers have elaborate ,editorial staff consisting of many editors and
sub-editors as incharges of various sub-sections, designated as Editor , Women's Editor., Picture Editor,
Society Editor, Drama editor, Literary Editor, Music Editor, Art Editor, etc. Small newspapers combine
many of these positions, or drop some altogether, and have an editorial staff consisting of ten to fifteen
persons. The editorial department is the record edition of a newspaper. It also maintains a library, where,
beside other relevant books. extensive files of clippings and photographs are maintained.

1. The Editor
To be the editor of a daily newspaper with a nationwide circulation is an ambition which very few
journalists can attain. There are however occasions when many intelligent reporters and correspondents
are satisfied with the excitement and thrill of their job and do not relish to have the ambition of a more
ordered routine t of an indoor job of the editor, even though it may bring them greater name and fame.

Dynamic Rule: Like the newspaper itself, the functions and responsibilities of the editor keep on
changing. When there were few newspapers the editor was regarded a potentate who ruled by the force of
his personality and was a terror for his opponents. the editorial board of a large newspaper carried more
power it does now. Present day newspapers are more led by the public opinion than they lead it.
The reason is that a newspaper has become a commercial organisation rather than' a political institution as
it used to be in the olden days. The editor, in order to maintain and increase the circulation day-by-day,
month-by- month and Year-by-year, has to compute the public mind and express opinions in the light of
popular trends prevailing from time to time. If any of the major newspaper were to take an elitist
approach, it may be classified as an anti-people newspaper and many of its readers may not on1y top
buying it but also build public opinion against it. For this reason- most of the editors give out their Ideas
and Opinions on current issues after gauging the public mind" Moreover, there is a great 1imitation on
modern editorial control. The individual opinions of an editor are subject to all the views of his
colleagues. correspondents and members of the editorial board. No newspaper allows one-man control,
however intelligent the editor may be{The editorial policy of a newspaper is usually guided by an editor-
in-chief, a managing editor, assistant editors, the news editor and half a dozen specialist editors. The first
three of them usually form the real editorial trio. They mutually decide upon the programme and policy of
the newspaper regarding interviews of national and international personalities and write leader articles on
important subjects or events. In large newspapers, there are separate editors, under a Chief Editor, each
specialising particular subject Depending upon the work assigned, he is designated News Editor, Sports
Editor, Literary Editor, Commercial Editor, Art Editor, etc. .
The Editor of a Newspaper must have patience, human sympathy, a working acquaintance with type and
how to use it; the faculty of being able to distinguish between- public right and public wrong as well as
private right and private. wrong. He must be an all round intellectual, knowing the essentials of the
history of the world and of human nature. He should be able to discriminate between honest publicists and
smooth-lounged propagandists. Above all he must possess 1ast courageous heart which enables him to
say 'yes' or 'no' at the right time

He should be able to inspire confidence in. his staff whom he can presumably trust. He should not build
an iron curtain around himself through 'which he emerges only on rare occasions. In the editorialship
every member of the crew has his job to do and there is nothing more depressing for the able-bodied
seaman or the cabin boy than to realise that the captain does not know him either by name or by ,sight.
The good Editor makes it a point of honour to know his staff and to recognize personally a notable piece
of work. There is no harm in an occasional descent from the Mount Olympus, as the Editor's room is
nicknamed, to visit the reporter's room to seethe paper 'put to motion'.

Perhaps the greatest lesson one. could learn in newspaper life is that unless the spirit of good
companionship prevails, the workers labour largely in vain. If _ grave issue of any kind arises that is the
Editor's duty to take the final decision without fear or favour, however much any member of his staff may
differ with him. As long as they know that he has discussed the pros and cons with his advisers around
him and not merely retired behind his iron curtain he will retain their respect and esteem.

The horizon of the Editor of a daily newspaper is not limited by the walls of his office. He must keep in
touch with public opinion by mixing with the leaders in every walk of life. His life is so hectic that his
luncheon table has to become an adjunct of the editorial desk. An hour or an-hour-and-a-half over
luncheon can a great help. to a news paper man straightening out his views on an urgent public issue; an
action contemplated by a Minister of the Cabinet or a dispute in industry. There are also occasions when
the conscientious Editor travels far a field.

Round the Clock Routine: From early morning to-midnight, the Editor is on duty either in the office or
on his round of visits and even then he is never certain' that his sleep will not be disturbed by the arrival
of a vital piece of news. Yet no Editor of a daily newspaper ever wished to change ,his job--unless,
possibly, to migrate another newspaper. For he enjoys the thrill of knowing that he is helping to make
history. His burden is lighter when he knows that he has at his elbow one or more assistant editors to take
some of the strain from him when life gets too hectic. His assistants who specialise in particular fields
such as home and political news, the news from overseas and the financial news, are usually eager to
divide the burden with him.

Writing of Leading Articles: There are decided views as to whether the Editor himself should write
leading articles or whether he should confine himself to briefing other members of his staff. In any case,
in the opinion of many, the Editor should not write regularly. A leader from his pen should be an event of
special importance and should be reserved for very important occasions. Most leader writers are able to
assimilate very quickly the ideas which the Editor has passed on to them before they begin to write, and it
is always the Editor's privilege to revise the article and, if he is really dissatisfied, to re-write it But the
leader writer who feels that if frozen out when the big moment comes, after he has been writing on a
subject week after week, will soon become disheartened and will not give his best. On a national-
newspaper the leader writer may not contribute more than two or three articles a week, but he has plenty
to occupy his time if he is to keep abreast of the in that part of the world with which he is dealing. The
more newspapers and official reports he studies the more valuable he becomes to his Editor. On some of
the newspapers there are leader writers who seem to be able to turn their hands to almost any subject in
any part of the world. This may be caused by the economic state of the paper, but obviously such an
article cannot carry the same weight and authority as the article written by a man who has devoted all his
spare time to the subjects which come under his microscope.

Writing of the 'light leader': It is another important item of a newspaper. Many newspapers now include
an article of this kind as a relief from the serious and some editors of noted newspapers have achieved a
worldwide reputation. But it is not every editor who can create humorous comments, in occuous and
interesting. In this field, there are more misses than hits. Obviously, no one writer could easily maintain a
daily supply of light article or column. One of the best writers of light leaders of the present generation
once expressed the view that the essential requisite of a light leader writer is a neat literary beginning and
a witty closing sentence which produces a smile on the readers' face and which makes him regret that the
light leader was not long enough.

2. The News Editor

The News Editor is one of the most important persons who plan a daily newspaper. His role in any
newspaper office- whether it is weekly or daily-is all pervading. To a national newspaper an active,
intelligent and enterprising news editor is the vital spark which energises its news coverage and outlook.
He is responsible for a steady and continuous inflow of up-to-the-minute news into newspaper office.
Although most of the news supplied is a mechanical process covered by daily routine, but like all
machinery of news gathering, the news editor is responsible for watching its smooth functioning. The
news editor keeps a care eye on the routine side of his news collection as well as on the other side of his
work or the news. desk which calls for more imaginative emulation.

An ideal news editor manages to get all the obvious stories into his paper with a good proportion of them
as exclusives. While the selection of obvious stories is important, greater importance is attached to the
original ones produced by his team of correspondents. The number of words received on the teleprinter in
a news paper is so large that if each word were to be printed, the newspaper will have to run into hundreds
of pages each morning. The news editor is called upon to use his discretion, discrimination and
imagination in reading the public mind and select the stories which have real news value and can be
called important by his readers--quite a large number tobe allotted a 'splash" position on the main news
pages according to the subject matter on fields of activity they are concerned with. All this has to be done
with an alertness to ensure that the kind of stories reader’s seek shall be found in his newspaper.

There are some fundamental stories which no newspaper can afford to miss as they go into all the daily
newspapers without exception. While they are important and have to be included, there are others called
exclusive which only an alert news editor can discover from the large ocean of copy that has been pouring
into the office during the day. An intelligent news editor has to make a judicious follow-up of a seemingly
promising paragraph or sometimes even make further enquiry before finalising the story an give it the
perfect shape he wants.

Exclusive Stories: The news editor gets good satisfaction from the stories which are exclusive to his own
newspaper. If he can manage to get into every issue dozen or more minor stories with good news value
but exclusive, he feels elated The news editor is also responsible for final 'scrutiny of important news
stories submitted by different correspondents, feature writers and outside correspondents He gives special
attention to the facts and figures included in the write-ups and wherever he is in doubt, he takes pains to
check -up their accuracy from the authented source. Any slip on his part can land the newspaper into
trouble. Hence, good newspapers have highly experienced and intelligent news editors.

Organising Ability: The hurry and scurry of daily routine makes heavy demands; upon the organising
ability of the news editor and his decisions specially when; time is short yet there has to be accuracy. The
exigencies of the case may some times mean even deputing different correspondents to different parts of
the country to piece together the links of a promising story.
There are certain qualities that the News Editor must possess. He must have an infinite amount of
patience and a keep interest on news of all kind. He must have good general educational background with
a fair amount of historical, political and economic knowledge. He must try to keep himself abreast and
informed on every important development in the work-a-day. world. He must enjoy reading the
newspapers, the weeklies" and the magazines. He must not think that he can keep normal working hours,
for it is more true of the News Editor than of anybody else that he is always on duty whether at home or
in the office. He must be a good mixer, he must be on the lookout for news all the time, he must learn to
scan the newspaper, and-perhaps the most important asset of all-he must be able to retain his sense of
humour however depressing the situation may be.

His daily routine: His working day begins early. Once he gets to his office there is so much to be done
that he has little time to examine thoroughly his own paper and those of rival managements. Therefore, he
must begin his reading with his early morning cup of tea and continue it on the way so that when he gets
to his desk he has a fair idea of the contents of the morning papers. His assistant will have achieved
earlier and will have prepared a list of his papers, exclusive news items and a more ,depressing list, that of
the stories which the paper has missed. He will probably 'regard the, 'scoops' as in the natural order or
things, but he will certainly want to hold an inquest on the news which has been missed, primarily to
satisfy himself that there is not a fault in the paper's methods of news gathering which needs to be
eradicated.
Having dealt with the past he must immediately concern himself with the future and launch his plan of
campaign for the next issue. Probably his first task will be to decide whether there is anything in any of
the papers which needs to be followed up. It used to be Lord Northcliffe's dictum that a first-class news
story will always stand up to one or two 'follow-up' stories, and the reporters can be put on to these right
away. Next he must mark the diary and assign the reporters to attend meetings which ought to be
specially covered and not left to the news agencies. He must also allot men to the news stories which have
cropped up and to enquiries which may not produce immediate results but which may be the preliminary
step towards a first-class article a few days later. But he must watch his man-power closely. He must not
fritter it away and he must not be left in the position that if later in the morning big news comes in, the
reporters' room is empty. It is certainly not false economy to have one or two reporters sitting idle; if they
'are wise they will spend their free time in reading newspapers, books, or periodicals which can always be
borrowed from the office library. It is the great thrill of the News Editor's life that he can never guess
when the high news will break. One news Editor certainly will never forget the moment when a pale-
faced messenger tore an item off the tape machine and put on his desk the first news of the death of, say,
Lal Bahadut Shashtri. Or another moment when, as he sat quietly in his armchair, the telephone fang in
the late evening and he was informed that his paper's Patna correspondent had been kidnapped.

Morning News Conference: Assuming that the morning is a normal one the News Editor, having
allotted the reporters their assignments turns his attention to the, preparations for the morning news
conference, for which he is primarily respon sible. This is generally attended by the Editor or one of his
assistants, the Junior Editors and their assistants, the picture editor, the cartographer, a representative of
the City Department, and a man from the circulating department which should always be kept in close
touch with the news as it arises. This conference is usually of an informal character when ideas on the
day's news and on space requirements are freely exchanged in preparation for the more important
conference which will be held in the late afternoon.

The News Editor also remains in communication with many of the special writers, who do much of their
work away from the office, and with the heads of other departments. He goes through the 'marked papers'
in which the contributions from correspondents are brought to his notice. That is why it is held that the
News Editor should not stick to his desk all the time, because good contacts are necessary for the
maintenance of a first class news-service. For that reason, most of the News Editors of the national
newspapers are given an entertainment allowance and most of it is spent at the luncheon table.
Maintaining Contacts: The News Editor who is anxious to maintain his contacts lunches out of his
office two or three times a week. On other days he is satisfied' he can snatch half an hour for lunch in the
office itself.
By the time he returns to his room the pace has quickened. Copy is beginning to arrive in a steady stream
and either the News Editor or his assistant goes through every line of it. News lurks from most
unexpected places. The early editions of to evening papers need to be watched carefully, if such editions
are brought out.

The programme for the editorial conference which is held in most offices in the late afternoon and which
is really the central point of the day's activities, the custom differs in every office, but broadly speaking,
the conference over which the . Editor presides is attended by the head of every editorial department. The
agenda, for this conference is prepared by the News Editor and his staff, with a separate page prepared by
the Overseas News Editor, dealing with all the news which have come in from his realm. The news of the
day is listed as far as possible in its order of importance and it is the News Editor's job to explain it item
by item. He must be ready to stand cross-examination any detail, and the ordeal is usually a trying : one,
for he may have omitted to make himself familiar with the very point which other members of the
conference consider to be the most important. It is then that the News Editor needs alterness and sense of
humour.

Before the conference he has a talk with the Chief Political Correspondent so; that he is able to report
what is happening in the Lok Sabha and the amount of special which the Parliament Chief is asking for
but does not always get. The hot news of the day having been examined, there is time for a brief
examination of the other: editorial features including the pictures, the entertainment page, the special
artical; the city news and the sports page. It is also time that the Editor announces: the subjects selected
for the night's leading articles.

It is only after the conference has ended that the News Editor breathes a1 freely because his day's work is
drawing to an end. A final glimpse at the evening papers; a perusal of teleprinter, a visit to the reporter's
room to see; that everything is running smoothly "and that the copy is not being held up; a talk with the
Chief Sub-Editor to smooth out any difficulties which may arise and then, most welcome sight, the
.arrival of the man who will relieve him, the Night News Editor. As the I latter must remain on desk until
the early hours of the morning it may have been : impossible for him to attend the afternoon conference,
so then News Editor informs him of all that has happened to ensure continuity.
The Night News Editor's work may not be as arduous as that of his opposite I number, but it is performed
under conditions of much greater difficulty. He is I always working against time and big news has a nasty
habit of breaking around the I edition time. He and his assistant must gather preliminary news on the
telephone, and one of his first tasks in the event of, say, a big railway or air disaster, must be to see- how
quickly reporters can be got to the spot Members of the public should never be troubled unnecessarily on
the telephone during the night but, there are occasions of sudden emergency when this cannot be avoided,
and this has to be done. The Night News Editor and the Chief Sub-Editor work hand in glove. There are
times when the former is apt to tear his hair if he discovers that an important piece of news is lying on the
sub-editor's desk and that he had not been told. But I there is, of course, the other side of the picture, when
the Night News Editor has omitted to tell his colleague that he is working on a big news story that may
require a fair amount of space which has not been provided for. Most of the news during the night will
come in by telephone and a thoroughly efficient copy taking department is essential. The importance of
its work is not always fully appreciated even in the newspaper office, although the mishearing of a single'
word on the telephone may be disastrous. Thus, both the copy-taker and the Chief Sub-Editor I always
keep their fingers crossed to guard themselves against any undetected error.

Functions of an editor
Editors need to be experts in everything from business to law; Appoint teams of experts from your staff
and build a portfolio of their strengths to help you delegate. The editor’s job is growing more complex.
The editor holds the key post in the newspaper organization. He is the head of the editorial department.
The editor has to develop a presentation style of the newspaper that is attractive and highly utilitarian.
Besides, he has to ensure consistency and continuity throughout the paper. The editor is a diamond cutter
who refines and polishes, removes the flaws and shapes a stone into a gem. He searches for ills in copy
and meticulously scans the product for flaws and inaccuracy, ever searching for the maximum power of
words.
The main functions of the editor of a newspaper organization are
1. Policy formation - The editor is responsible for formulating editorial policies of the
newspaper.’
2. Public relations – Another function of an editor is to maintain public relations. The editor
who has to gauge the public mind to give his ideas and opinions on current issues has to
necessarily maintain cordial public relations. He has to mix with public and leaders in every
walk of life and must be in touch with public opinion.
 3. Team building – with a view to implement the policies of the newspaper, the editor prepares a
team of personnel in the editorial department. He appoint correspondents, feature writers and
reviewers. He ensures that all persons working in the editorial department work as a team.
4. Leadership – Leadership is the ability of influencing people to strive willingly for mutual
objectives. It is that aspect of management that manifests ability, creativeness, initiative and
intuitiveness, thereby gaining from people the confidence, cooperation and willingness to
work by organizing and building employee morale.
5. Planning – The editor has to plan the design and layout of the newspaper. A detailed plan is
to be prepared regarding the editorial page. The editor has to review the editorial and other
pages of the newspaper in the context of those that appeared in the other newspapers.
6. Organizing the desk – This function of the editor relates to the division of work. He has to
organize the different desks such as general desk, commerce desk, sports desk, film desk etc.
He has to monitor and watch the working of the desk.
7. Convening meetings – The editor is also responsible for day-to-day review of the newspaper.
Such a review is done in a meeting which is held everyday by the editor. In fact, this meeting
conducts a post mortem on the day’s issue. In the meeting a discussion on broad ideas from
policy matters to story possibilities is held.
8. The coordination function – Coordination is an extremely important function in a newspaper
organization. Coordination involves the unity of purpose and harmonious implementation of
plans for the pursuit of common goals.

Editor in Chief
Primary Function:
 Responsible for publishing the newspaper.
 Accepts responsibility for all content appearing in the newspaper.
 Oversees all departments and employees.
 Organizational Relationship
Duties
 Serves a chair of the management board.
 Serves as a member of the publication board.
 Responsible for scheduling monthly management board meetings.
 Responsible for choosing the managing editor.
 Selects newsroom managers and editors, in consultation with the managing editor.
 Selects business department managers, in consultation with the business manager.
  Leads daily news budget, when editors gather to discuss and select important news stories of the
day. In the absence of the editor in chief, the highest-ranking editor is responsible for conducting
the daily meeting.
 Shares a dual role with the managing editor in performing second edits of editorial content
appearing in the newspaper.
 Responsible for assigning stories in the absence of a section editor.
 Supervises special projects and assignments with reporters and editors.
 Responsible for handling conflicts between employees.
 Establishes job guidelines for all managers and editors.
 Decides the size of the newspaper.
 Approves late advertisements after consultation with the production manager.
 Hires and fires employees for all departments.
 Reviews payroll reports to keep in line with fiscal budget.
 Has final approval of all editorial content.
 Participates in the daily editorial board meeting, which consists of five voting members: the
editor in chief, managing editor, editorial editor, campus editor and metro editor.
 Responsible for writing a staff editorial each week.
 Generates story ideas when needed.
 Writes stories when needed.
 Responsible for organizing weekly staff meeting.
 Works with department heads to collaborate on story selection, newspaper design, etc.
 Meets with department heads on a daily basis to determine newspaper development is on
schedule.
 Meets with the managing editor on a daily basis to discuss previous day's newspaper, as well as
upcoming issues, etc.
 Along with the managing editor, responsible for ensuring nightly deadlines are followed.
 In conjunction with the managing editor, responsible for pulling Associated Press stories each
day.
 Meets with Newspaper advisers on a daily basis to discuss issues, problems, etc.

Editorial Editor
Primary Function
 Responsible for management of the editorial section of the newspaper, which includes
columnists, letters to the editor and cartoonists.
  Organizational Relationship
 Salaried position selected each semester by the editor in chief and the managing editor.

Duties
 Serves as a member of the management board.
 Leads the daily editorial board meeting, which consists of five voting members: the editor in
chief, managing editor, editorial editor, campus editor and metro editor.
 Meets with the editor in chief or managing editor on a daily basis to discuss ideas for editorial
topics and other issues relating to the editorial section of the newspaper.
 Responsible for hiring and firing columnists and cartoonists.
 Responsible for establishing a writing schedule for the daily staff editorial.
 Edits and designs daily editorial pages.
 Responsible for establishing daily web poll questions, which should be based off current campus,
local, national or world events.
 Responsible for staying on top of current events and issues, especially those relating to nation and
within the states.
 Establishes job guidelines for editorial employees.
 Consults with the editor in chief and managing editor each semester to establish guidelines for
cartoonists and columnists.
 Responsible for training cartoonists on ethics, cultural sensitivity and decency standards.
 Responsible for actively recruiting guest columnists.
 Responsible for compiling news stories on a daily basis for discussion among editorial board
members.

Copy Desk Editor

Primary Function
 Responsible for management of the copy desk of the newspaper.
 Organizational Relationship
 Salaried position selected each semester by the editor in chief and the managing editor.
Duties
 Offers input on the selection of the assistant copy desk chief.
 Manages and works with the assistant copy desk chief.
 Organizes copy desk staff to edit all news, sports, feature and weekender stories.
  Oversees the implementation of Associated Press style and the use of proper grammar throughout
the newspaper.
 Meets with the editor in chief or managing editor on a daily basis to discuss overall newspaper
direction for that day and other issues relating to the copy desk section of the newspaper.
 Responsible for hiring and firing of copy editors.
 Trains and orientates copy editors.
 Establishes job guidelines for copy editors.
 Deals with conflicts that may arise between copy editors.
 Participates in daily news budget, when editors gather to discuss and select important news
stories of the day.
 Responsible for the layout of all pages.
 Responsible for evaluating copy desk staff on a routine basis.
 Has final authority over all content appearing in the newspaper, unless overruled by the editor in
chief or the managing editor.
 Responsible for making final corrections to newspaper layouts.
 With the assistance of the editor in chief and the managing editor, the copy desk chief is
responsible for reading every story appearing in the newspaper.
 Works with other editors to ensure nightly newspaper deadline is followed

Fundamentals of copy editing

Copy editing usually consists of three kinds of editing.
1. Detailed editing for sense is concerned with whether each section expresses the reporter’s
meaning clearly, without gaps and contradictions. It involves looking at each sentence, the
reporter’s choice of words, the punctuation, the use of abbreviations, comparing the data in tables
with the relevant text, checking text against the illustrations and their captions, and so on. The
editor will at this stage look out for any quotations or illustrations that may need permission from
the copyright owner, and will also look out for other legal problems.
2. Checking for consistency is a mechanical but important task. It may to some extent be done at
the same time. It involves checking such things as spelling and the use of single or double quotes,
either according to a house style or according to the reporter’s own style; checking the numbering
of illustrations, tables and notes, and any cross-references to them, and also the consistency of the
matter.
3. Clear presentation of the material for the typesetter involves making sure that it is complete
and that all the parts are clearly identified: for example the grade each subheading, which pieces
 of text (such as long quotations) should be distinguished typographically from the main text, and
where tables and illustrations should be placed. The copy-editor may also size the illustrations,
mark type sizes, and so on.

Copy editors are usually the last line of defense before a page goes to press. In a series of reviews, various
levels of editors religiously check story and page elements for errors, then release them to the page
designers to send the final pages. Amateur journalists and bloggers can likewise apply the copy editing
process to their own work, ensuring that copy submitted to editors is as clean as possible.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: Varies depending on story length and complexity
Here's How:
Pull all of the elements of the story together. There's the copy, caption(s), headlines, and any refers or
breakout boxes. You want to be able to cross-check all of these elements against each other.
Read the story. Are the byline and dateline correct? Look for bad or missing punctuation, grammar or
spelling errors, incomplete sentences, repeating words ("the the"), AP style (if that's what your
publication uses), improper day references ("today," "yesterday"), etc. Double-check unfamiliar names
and places. Be sure to run a spell check at the end -- your spelling skills may be excellent, but everyone
makes mistakes.
Let the writer keep his or her voice. You may encounter copy that is beyond awful, and rewriting good
chunks may be necessary. But editors should also resist making changes not because something is wrong,
but because they're adding a style or voice that they prefer.
Edit the captions. Cross-check names, places, events, organization titles, etc., against the story. Is there a
discrepancy? Many correct answers can be found by checking with the reporter, calling sources, or
looking on official Web sites. Run a spell check.
Editing the story
A copy-editor should first read the entire story to gain a full understanding of what the writer is trying to
say. Then, much like the sculptor with a chisel, the editor begins to chip away clutter and redundancies.
Other writing faults also are corrected as the story is gradually shaped into sharply delineated form.
Clutter
It is rare that a story cannot be simplified. With a keen eye, the editor deletes extraneous words and
phrases, constantly asking: “Are these words necessary?” Can the story be told in a better way?
Unnecessary phrases, classes, adjectives and adverbs reduce understanding. Most sentences should be
short. Many editors follow the guideline of ONE IDEA TO A SENTENCE. Care must be taken,
however, to avoid choppiness and changing the meaning of what the writer wanted to say.
Redundancy
Just as in a conversation, many writers say almost the same thing twice, or more, to make sure the point is
not lost, but more likely because of deadline pressure or sheer carelessness. The alert copy-editor notes
repetitions and deletes them. Redundancies take the form of one or several unnecessary words. Clutter
and redundancy are only two examples of the many writing faults for which the copy editor also is
responsible if they are not corrected. Each country has its idioms, slang terms, clichés, bureau corrected.

Fundamentals of copy editing

Searches for factual errors and corrects them.
Guards against contradictions and edits the story to correct them
To correct errors in punctuation, grammar, spelling, figures, names and addresses.
To make the copy conform to the newspaper’s style
To condense the story, and informing in few sentences
To Trim the story to the space ordered.
To guard against libel, double meaning and bad taste.
To dress the story with typographical devices, such as subheads, as may be indicated.
To write the headlining for the story
To write caption for photographs and other art work related to the edited stories.
After the edition has gone to press, examines the paper closely as a further protection against error and
makes corrections if deadlines permit.

Rules of Editing
1. Paying attention to language:
The foremost principle is to make the copy readable. The sub-editor / editor must ensure that the story
conforms to the following five principles;
 It is precise
 It is clear
 It has a pace appropriate to the content
 It uses transitional devices that lead the reader from one thought to the next.
 It appeals to the reader’s senses
2. Rewriting
Rewriting news story is equally essential to ensure that the headline accurately reflects the news
captured in the text, and the perspective and the focus of the story is not lost in the ‘wordiness’.
Barnes underlines the importance of rewriting in one memorable sentence: Rewriting usually makes
 the difference between the mediocre and good paper. Even while in a hurry to catch the deadline, a
good sub-editor would not ignore rewriting aspect of editing. Use of proper words is another
important principle of editing. It will be worthwhile to inculcate the practice of using proper words
while writing news stories, features and reports.
3. Inverted pyramid model of writing news
The writing of news follows a certain pattern. The most interesting part of the event, the most unusual,
the most striking facts, or the facts which are the most rewarding to the reader or the climax of the story,
come first. The remaining facts are presented in the body in the descending order of importance. This is
called “inverted pyramid” model of writing news.
4. Deciding about the lead
The news lead is similar to the first few sentences with which you begin telling your friends the
outcome of some meeting or to your family member about event which you have witnessed.
5. Proof reading: Proof reading is an important part of editing. Every journalist and editorial
worker should have certain amount of proficiency in proof reading.
Some of the important rules for proof correcting are given below:
I. All correction should be made in the margin; only such marks should be made in the text
which are required to indicate the place to which the correction refers.
II. If any change is desired in a letter or word, it should be struck through and the letter or matter
to be substituted should be written in the margin.
III. The changes, if any, in the proof should not be the cause of trouble to the press; for example,
if two words are removed from the first line of a paragraph either matter of the same size
should be substituted or a complete line removed.
IV. Running-heads should be read carefully and the continuation from the foot of the each page
to the head of the next page be properly checked. In order to ensure the proper length of the
pages, a gauge should be used.
V. Special attention should be paid to the checking of scientific names and numerical data.
VI. Word breaking or division at the end of the line should be checked and made to agree with
the dictionary or the style manual of a publishing house.
VII. The proof reader should have a complete knowledge of proof correction symbols and
grammatical construction while correcting a proof.

Editorial Executives and Their Roles

The editor-in-chief, known sometimes just as "the editor", controls the editorial page On small papers he
writes all the editorials himself; on larger ones he heads up an editorial staff directs its work. In each.
case, his is the sole ,responsibility for the way in which the paper's opinions are expressed. His personal
responsibility is to the paper's directing executives
The managing editor has as his province complete control over the news and features that go into the
paper. Under him. are the city editor and the various departments; over him, as a: rule, the paper's chief
executive. Indicative of the lack of uniformity and rigidity in newspaper organization are those papers on
which the managing editor is responsible to the editor-in-chief. The managing editor designs the over-all
plans for news coverage. He decides the layout of the front page.
The city editor heads up the paper's local news. His sphere extends beyond the town's actual boundaries
and includes the sub-urban areas. It is the city editor who makes out the daily assignment sheet which
allocates to each reporter the SIDI y which he is to cover. His duty is to gauge the importance of each
local story, determine its length and the amount of play to be given it On some papers the city editor
controls all departments except sports; on others he directs all news except telegraph. In general the
supervises all the paper's local coverage. He is under and responsible to the managing editor.
On morning papers, the night city editor takes over when the city editor’s working day is done. The night
city editor gets the day's assignment sheet and usually verbal comments from the city editor on the stories
being covered and written, and from this he makes out his own schedule. He in turn assigns reporters to
cover any story that may break between the time he takes over and the time the paper goes to press. The
larger papers have assistants to both these executives-assistant day city editors and assistant night city
editors.
The work of the news editor differs from paper to paper. His office illustrates, the lack of
standardization of titles and functions which exist in news paperdom. On some papers the news editor
may control copy readers and features, on another he may control the .entire news department. A typical
news editor has charge of copy desk, make-up, and composing room.
The telegraph editor handles the copy that comes in from Metropolitan cities,
State capitals, industrial centres, etc., in the country and from all parts
of the world. He and his assistants on the telegraph desk, which is sometimes called the national or
domestic desk, copyread this news, write the headlines for it, and in general prepare it for publication.
The cable editor, sometimes called the foreign editor, edits the stories that
come from neighbouring countries or from distant lands. When a world war breaks out, a special cable
desk is set up to handle the war news.
The sports editor and other specialized news editors such as financial, real . estate, society, and school, act
as city editors within their own department On large papers each has a staff to which he assigns stories to
be covered. l11ese stories when written are in each case edited and prepared for publication by the
departmental desk. After art from the sports editor, who usually operates independently, most department
editors work under the city editor. All are responsible to the managing editor.
The good make-up editor is "part printer; part reporter, part editor, and pan all an clock". It is his job to
fit the news and features which have been set up in type into the page forms of the paper. As you will read
in the chapter dealing with the make up of pages of a newspaper, a "dummy" of page one is okayed by the
managing editor. A "dummy" is a diagram of the layout of a page which shows position of stories. All
pages which carry advertising are dummied by the advertising department In addition, most departmental
editors prepare department dummies. It is the make-up editor's job to translate all these various directives
into readable realities. To the tick of the clock he fits stories, pictures, advertisements into their allotted
columns and pages. Often this entails last-minute decisions. Stories are cut in the composing room or left
out altogether; headline type is changed to suit the "look" and readability of the page.
The art editor, often called the picture editor, works in close conjunction with the city editor, for many
stories these days are covered by the cameraman as well as by the report on metropolitan papers the art
editor may have as many as twenty men under him to assign the stories. The public's growing delight in
pictures is enhancing the an editor's position on most papers: In some instances, as in the case of tabloids,
the space allotted to 'pictures is greater than that assigned to text On smaller papers which do not maintain
their own photographic staff, the art or picture man has the job of selecting photographs from the number
submitted by picture agencies.
The Image of an Editor
An editor has such a burden of administration on his shoulders that he can rarely do much writing. So we
need more than ever that he should be able to brief a leader writer adequately and vastly to improve the
resulting article, strengthening at one point a surmise which from his private knowledge he knows to be
correct, toning down at another point an accusation which it would be difficult to prove, and here and
there, and especially at the end, condensing arguments into salient and vivid phrases. To convert by such
a process a vague and view leader into a compelling call to action is no small achievement.
In our many-sided journalism today not all men in charge of newspapers are devoted politicians or
scholarly thinkers. Broadly, there are three ways of editing a daily or weekly newspaper. First, the writing
editor. He follows ancient examples which have led many people to believe that the leading article always
comes from the editor's pen. The public assumes it to be his main duty to study politics, cultivate .in
impressive literary style and be able to elucidate every new problem in world strife or his town's affairs.
He may be a deeply thoughtful man, a born student, but known to the public only through his articles.
An editor of quite different character dines out frequently, appears on platforms at public meetings, and is
always ready to accept a radio or television management Moving freely among public men and officials
he beams with geniality and success.
There may be a type of editor who is more, and more favoured by proprietors. In these days of flourishing
popular journalism' a novel and attractive make-up of a paper counts for much. Rich prosperity rewards
an editor who possesses a flair and a technical skill enabling him to pick out of the flowing mass the news
that
'Will most excite the public. His feeling for politics may be emotional, he need not be a fluent Writer, but
he can invent a gripping headline and make a page enticing, so that the reader cannot skip it. He thrives
on any stories, scares, dramas of love and crime, and perhaps his own critical outlook about pillars of the
state.
Not every editor falls into one of these categories. Virtues and shortcomings interlock in varying patterns
and proportions as differently circumstanced editors .try hard to be accomplished all-rounders, good desk
men, up-to-date policymakers, public figures and effective speakers. Usually, being human, they attach
more importance to the duties they are good at and leave others to subordinates.
How do newspaper managements find their editors? Where do they look for the combination of
originator, technician, trainer/and administrator? The second in-command mayor may to be suitable for
promotion. Many a good journalist after being a reporter
and a sub-editor becomes a good assistant editor and then a, good deputy editor, but, especially if he is in
his fifties or sixties, he may not want to bear all the heavy responsibilities of the top job. He may be good
.at putting the paper together and getting it to press in time; he may have a quick awareness of libel
dangers and cut out many a dangerous paragraph.
Most editors of today have been sub-editors or reporters doing work which brings them in touch with
many ingredients of a good paper, many production problems, and a vigilant regard for space and time.
This last quality is supremely important, if the paper is to get to press punctually. Not that every sub-
editor is a potential editor. Reading copy, making it intelligible and crisp and putting bright badlines on it,
thinking in terms of ones, letters and minutes, may in the course of years give a journalist a remarkable
skill at his desk and in the case room where the type is made-up in pages. But to study what others have
written is not a complete substitute for closer contacts with reality, presence at great events, a friendly
acquaintance with Cabinet Ministers or, on a local paper, with aldermen and councillors.
The editor's work nowadays is anything but silent. His is very largely a talking job. He takes editorial
conferences each day. He must discuss the news-gathering with the news editor, the foreign news with the
foreign editor, the leaders with the leader-writers, the planning of the magazine pages with the magazines
page editor, the shaping of the leader page with an assistant editor. He must discuss women'8 features
with the woman editor, even if his interest in fashions, cookery and family management would never
tempt him to buy a copy of the 'Women's Era' or the 'Ideal Home'. He should' at least encourage his
woman editor by seeing that her page looks well. He must see members of the staff who want his
guidance and must' never treat them curtly. Many people call to see him. No matter how skilful and 1
tactful his secretary may- be in protecting him from time-wasting callers there are important people with
whom he has to discuss political and other problems at a' length considered excessive.
In the course of his work the editor 15 not only being asked questions but is repeatedly asking himself, 'Is
this fair? Are we sure of the facts? Will this news or comment cause needless pain to someone? How did
the reporter get this information? Is this headline loaded with prejudice?' It may be thought that the law of
the land, the code of conduct the Press Council is building up, make clear what the editor may do and
should not do. Even more than in other professions the guiding lines of conduct are blurred here and
there. The law of contempt of court is not crystal clear. The office layer engaged to advise the editor-
q1ay pass- some crime news for publication which the court may think that in the interests of justice it
should not have been published, and then the editor will be publicly blamed. .
Accuracy and discretion are of almost equal importance in reporting crime, but they are of almost equal
importance in news of other kinds. Editors are far more.
determined on accuracy than most readers appreciate.
How does an editor guard against being trapped by a letter with a hidden libel and a false name and
address? If an editor has the slightest doubt about the good faith of a letter proposed to be printed) he
should send a reporter to check with the writer asking perhaps for further particulars. In many cases where
editors are suspicious, the reporter would find that there was effort on the part of some interested party to
deceive and the letter came back marked 'Not known at this address' or 'No such address' . But one does
not suspect everybody, and occasionally what turns out to be a dishonest letter is accepted and printed in
good faith.
Such are some of the problems that keep an editor vigilant. No wonder so many blunders get past the
editorial guard but on most papers they are to few. The truest picture of a typical newspaper staff is of
men doing their utmost to avoid'. libel, contempt of court and harm to innocent people. -The editor lives
an excitingly eventful life. It is also one of perpetual change to this watchfulness.

Editing and Proofreading Marks

Here is a list of symbols used by editors and proofreaders to mark corrections to content. An example of
their use is also shown. Using these symbols will enable you to communicate with production and help
them to interpret your instructions accurately.
Prepare your manuscript thoroughly. Remember that corrections are very costly once the content is in
production.
• Mark your corrections clearly and neatly in the margins. Indicate the end of each correction with a slash
(/). Use multiple slashes if the correction is to be made more than once. Large inserts to the manuscript
should be typed on a separate sheet of paper with
an indication showing placement of the insert.
• Be sure to answer all queries.
• We strongly encourage you to limit corrections to typographical and factual errors only. Extensive
corrections causing changes to paging delay the schedule and invalidate the index. Low alterations of
typeset material will save you money and expedite your work through production.

Proofreading
In an ideal world, by the time a piece of work reaches proof stage there should be nothing to correct. A
well-organised editorial system will have ensured that the hard work of knocking copy into shape,
correcting factual errors and improving spelling and grammar has been done while the words were still in
manuscript, whether that was digital or paper.
Copy which still requires significant alterations during proofreading indicates an editorial process which
is slack, indecisive, disorganised, unprofessional or some permutation of all four characteristics. If major
work at this stage becomes habitual (the occasional panic change for last-minute reasons can be
considered endemic to journalistic publishing), seek a remedy further up the production chain.
Proofreading should, therefore, be undertaken with the aim of changing as little as possible. The reasons
for this are obvious, no matter where proofing comes in the production process.
On a newspaper which lays out pages using unsubbed copy, proofing will be one of the final stages, likely
to come at a time when pressure is mounting and time is at a premium. Mistakes which are not picked up
first time round will increase the pressure further - if they are picked up at all.
On a magazine which sets type before doing layouts, giving uncorrected material to the art department is
a pointless and costly waste of time, even when using an in-house typographic system. The set copy
cannot be used for layouts because it may be shortened (or lengthened) and making corrections to an
already set piece of work increases the chances of introducing further mistakes.
In the days when typesetting was done outside the office, in either the compositors' department or a
contracted repro house, this really would have been expensive because the more times a piece went to and
fro, the more charges were levied. Even with in-house, or in-office, facilities it is a good idea to stick to
the old disciplines, not for the sake of tradition but because they can save time and improve accuracy.
Employing people to do work which will have to be done again is never a good idea, and it's a wasteful
use of computer facilities.
Since we do not live in an ideal word, however, proofreading is still a necessary stage in the subediting
process. In fact it is probably more necessary than ever as fewer and fewer eyes see a piece of work on its
way from copy to published article. The way in which proofing work is arranged will vary from office to
office but there are certain principles to adhere to.
The first thing to remember is that proofreading is not an innate ability, but an acquired skill. Anyone can
become a good proofreader though many can't be bothered to concentrate hard enough.
The art of accurate proofreading lies in paying attention to every word, long or small and then in knowing
how to make corrections. If you can train yourself to do this then you will have acquired a valuable skill

Proof reading symbols

Signs for proof correction have not yet been standardized internationally, although printers in most
countries recognize most kinds of correction marks. There is, however, universal agreement that every
change has to be marked twice on the proof: once in the text where the change is needed, and once in the
margin, where the instruction for change is given.
In the USA, marginal instructions are given with the least possible punctuation; if an ‘a’ is to be
substituted for an ‘e’ in the text, the marginal instruction is simply a (and the text is struck through
diagonally). In the British system the marginal instruction is a/, the diagonal stroke indicating that the end
of the correction has been reached. Other corrections further along in the same line of text can be added
immediately afterwards, since they are separated from the first correction by the diagonal line. In both
these systems the marginal instruction is written as near as possible to the piece of text that is to be
corrected.
Inserts are linked by arrows or, in the new British system, by an identifying letter inside a diamond, to
their position in the text.
Sets of proof-correction marks are to be found in large dictionaries, style manuals, and the British and
American standards.

Style guide
A style guide or style manual is a set of standards for design and writing of documents, either for general
use or for a specific publication or organization. Style guides are prevalent for general and specialized
use, for the general reading and writing audience, and for students and scholars of the various academic
disciplines, medicine, journalism, the law, government, business, and industry. Some style guides focus
on graphic design, covering such topics as typography and white space. Web site style guides focus on a
publication's visual and technical aspects, prose style, best usage, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and
fairness.
Many style guides are revised periodically to accommodate changes in conventions and usage. For
example, the stylebook of the Associated Press is updated annually.

Sub editorial room

The chief sub-heads of the sub-editorial room. All news and news photographs intended for publication
reaches to his table. He usually functions as the “copytaster”. He decides whether or not the story will be
used, or cut down to half, or elaborated from five lines to one column or more. The chief sub is assisted
by a number of sub-editors in his difficult job. Usually there are two shifts in a newspaper office – day
and night. Each shift is managed by a different chief sub. Some papers, however, have another shift,
called the link shift or mid-shift. Generally it is conducted by a junior member of the staff. And as the
name signifies, it links the two main shifts.

The chief sub’s main function is to supervise and co-ordinate the work of the sub-editors. He is
responsible for the production of a particular edition of the newspaper. He doles out copy, keeps records
of stories, and knows the persons dealing with them. He has a complete picture of the newspaper in the
background of his mind. He can tell you off-hand on what pages, columns, and positions certain news
items and news photographs will be used. The chief sub is the architect. He is the make-up man and
dresses the maths. He makes up all the pages, except the sports and commercial. And in some newspapers
he does the make-up of these pages as well. He has to go to the pressroom to direct the make-up, just a
short time before the paper is “put to bed”.
A study of make-up and typography of Indian newspapers since the early days would convince any
student of journalism of the progress made. Early Indian newspapers had vertical make-up. It used to be
solid mass of dark typefaces running from the top of the column to its bottom, with no relief to eyes. And
there was very little sense of typography, if any. Now our make-up and typography- at least of some of
our newspapers – compares well with the standard set up by foreign newspapers. Our make-up so
horizontal. Our headlines are will shaped. They attract attention. And out “tops” are all above the folder.
Types used for headlines are appropriate, but quite often there is a mixture of different families of types
and different weights in a multiple deck headline, besides other minor blemishes. The modern make-up of
outstanding Indian newspapers is effective in its purpose of arresting attention and arousing interest.
The chief sub-plans the make-up of the newspaper by holding an editorial conference or contacting the
executive heads, particularly the news editor and the advertisement manager. The news editor is able to
give an idea about stories in hand and expected stories and also their approximate length. The
advertisements manager is ready with the dummy of the newspaper, showing the space reserved for
advertisements. The chief sub knows all about futures and miscellaneous items scheduled for publication.
He draws up a rough plan. He has no hesitation in introducing split-second changes in his plan of make-
up and display in case the news situation demands such a step.

The news-editor usually functions as picture or art editor. He gets news photographs from photographic
agencies, information services of embassies, the press information Bureau, various publicly organizations,
and amateur photographers. The lead picture is the work of the staff photographer, as far as possible. The
chief sub-handles the news photographs along with news copy. Pictures containing action, news value,
and qualities which attract and hold the eye, receive preference.

The chief sub must possess the skill of an artist in planning the lay-out of pictures he selects for use in the
newspaper. With a soft pencil he marks the portion to be used. In deciding the measurement of the block,
he has to keep in mind the space required by the caption – the description or explanation of the
photograph. Pictures published in newspapers carry “overlines” and “captions”. The overline is merely a
label head, quite often giving the name of the person, place or object featured below. The caption or
underline gives the description and brings out the significance of the story.
The chief sub often digs out a block from old stock to illustrate an event or a news situation or to provide
its background. He carefully checks up the description.
The chief sub checks up all captions carefully- old ones describing the blocks in stock are verified and
brought up to date, and those identifying the latest news situations are checked upon for any possible
errors on the part of the photographer. He also handles the lead story invariably, besides other stories. The
chief sub is the supreme head of his team. He takes his instruction from the news editor, and he always
refers to him whenever in doubt or difficulty. All copy when subbed should pass through his hands.

The functions of Sub editor

The sub is a versatile man in the newspaper. He knows something of everything and everything of
something. His sound general education and training will help him edit easily and efficiently all kinds of
copy full of technical terms and complicated issues. He will be able to put the stories in newsy form, in
the common man’ language.
The sub is saddled with his weapons- pencil, paste, and a pair of scissors. With a set of symbols he marks
his copy for the printers. These symbols signify the alterations to be made in the story. They are short-
handed instructions to the printers, saving time and space. Some of the symbols used in subbing also are
used in proofreading. The modus-operand- of their use differs. The sub makes the corrections and uses
symbols within the lines. The proofreader marks the nature of corrections in the margins and indicates the
places of corrections in the lines opposite.
The sub takes good care to mark the copy legibly and clearly. The subs write reports like the minutes of a
meeting, and easily assume the role of the editors giving expression to his views, issuing chits to favorites
and censuring the conduct of those whom they do not like. The sub is their saviour. They survive since
their blunders and blemishes are taken care of by the sub.
In spite of his old jobs the sub is always cursed and blamed for “killing”, “butchering”, “chopping”,
“murdering”, and “mutilating” beautiful stories. He is blamed by the reporters who are ignorant or the
technique of news writing, who consider the hideous stories they produce as things of beauty. The junior
such attempts to strike the story if it is badly written, leaving no scope for subbing.

The sub knows that his job is to correct and scrutinize and not to rewrite every story. He retains the
original story as far as possible, deleting a word here, slashing a sentence there, cutting out a paragraph at
one place, and transposing a few words at another. Sub never allows any important feature of the story to
stand in the last para which runs the risk of being cut out by the make-up man to level up the column.
Individuals and organizations have their advertising and publicity experts who try to smuggle in
advertising and propaganda in the news columns of the newspaper. The sub is able to smell these easily,
and he has not mercy for the unquestionable elements. They must pay and find a place for themselves in
the advertisement columns.
Accuracy is the watchword of the sub. If the least doubt crops up in his mind in regard to the reliability of
a statement or fact, he takes all possible steps to verify it. In no case does he permit a doubtful statement
to appear in print. The sub remembers the golden rule: “where in doubt, leave out”. The sub is expected to
have a good grasp of the press laws of India.

Copy editor
A copy editor or sub-editor is a bridge between a reporter and the reader.. He/she need not execute all
these functions simultaneously. But, on any given day, he/ she will be required to play all these roles.
A copy editor, generally know as the sub-editor or desk person, is a gatekeeper and image builder who
protects a newspaper's reputation. He/she is a surgeon who performs surgery, and a priest who conducts a
happy marriage between speed and efficiency. He/she is a tailor, too. He/she is an unglamorous backroom
worker, who does a thankless but stupedendous job, and represents the last stage. No one can see his/her
edited copy except the proof readers, who, if smart and vigilant, may detect faults with subbing (editing).
A desk person takes all the blame; he/she rarely gets any credit, and remains anonymous.
Duties of a copy editor
A copy editor or a sub––editor receives, sifts, processes and issues news items after giving them a final
shape.
A copy editor:
i) removes rough edges from the copy and polishes it to make it presentable; Any story that comes into
the newsroom is often raw, blunt, and rough edged. The first task or a sub is to remove rough edges so
that the copy makes sense. This will make the copy phasing and presentable to the readers.]
ii) adjusts the copy to the style of - his newspaper;
[Style is essential, particularly, to a newspaper, and every news organisation follows its own style. It is a
device to maintain consistency and, thus, the credibility a newspaper.]
You may ask what difference would it make if "P" is parliament" is written in the capital letter at some
places would ill small letter at other. It does make, for at least two reasons: style lends a sense of
craftsmanship, and it affects the reader at two levels - consciously simplifies, and clarifies and corrects the
language.
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Only one o( the above should be followed consistently.
iii) A reader who scans through his morning newspaper is in a great hurry. Hence, a copy editor should
carve out each story in a familiar language .so that it runs smoothly through the average reader's mind.
Smooth writing ensures smooth reading. Simple, direct sentences are more directive. Also, he/she should
delete cliches, extraneous words, jargon, ambiguities, non-descript adjectives and. adverbs.
As far as possible, the predicate should be close to the subject. If an intervening clause removes the verb
too far from the subject, the reader could lose track of the sentence and its meaning.
iv) Tailors 'story length to space requirements.
v) Detects and corrects errors of fact.
vi) Simplifies, clarifies and verifies meanings.
vii) Adjusts stories to make them objective and fair.
If a controversial matter is reported, then there are bound to be two sides or different points of view.
Hence, all the points of view must be fairly presented. Carrying only one version and ignoring others in
the coverage will amount to taking sides.
viii) Adjusts stories to make these legally safe.
You should avoid using adjectives of pejorative nature with respect to persons. However, unpopular a
person might be the law will protect him against defamation.
In matters before the courts, the cases .of both the petitioners and defendants must be given space in the
report.
Editors are often thought of as butchers waving a meat cleaver. That, of course, is an exaggeration, known
as hyperbole. While it is true that an editor should tighten up a story by cutting out excess verbiage, it is
also important for the editor to make sure the story is complete. Sometimes writers assume that the reader
knows basic information: When the US Constitution was signed; who Mark Twain was; where Athens is.
Use your judgment as to whether to expand on this kind of information. If you think one out of ten
readers is unsure, it’s better to include the information. Doughnuts have holes in the middle, but stories
shouldn’t. If you think more detail or description is needed, fill in the hole.
The easiest way to find holes in stories or to find other flaws that need editing is to put yourself into the
mind of the reader. What questions would the reader ask? Does the
story answer those questions? Odd as it may sound, the best editing often occurs when an editor finds
something that's missing. An easy example would be something like: "The teacher made three points."
And then the story only lists two.
More difficult is the process of realizing that a piece of information necessary to make the story complete
is lacking. A story with a hole cannot be whole .Driving down a road you notice a variety of signs. Most
have symbols, such as a curved arrow, meaning there’s a bend in the road; some have words, such as
STOP. Punctuation in a sentence is like a sign along the road; it is intended to be helpful in guiding the
reader through sentences and paragraphs. Each punctuation sign has a function. The signs are not for
decoration, a dab here and a dab there. If in editing you see a punctuation mark that performs no role, take
it out. The reader, like the driver of a car, doesn’t need needless distractions. The most misused
punctuation mark is the comma. Writers think they should throw one in every time there is a pause in a
sentence. Not true.
The word “and” seems to trigger the most problems. Examine the following two sentences:
• Marguerite went to the store, and Juan rode his bike.
• Marguerite went to the store and bought some yummy candy.
Note that the first example has a comma; the second doesn’t. The reason?
Example 1 is a compound sentence. How do you know? Because if you take away the word “and” you
have two sentences.
Example #2 you can’t take away “and”. Marguerite is the subject of “went” and “bought”.
A comma is unnecessary unless it serves a specific purpose. Pause and analyze the role of each comma
but don’t use one every time there is a pause.
(How necessary are commas? Notice that only one comma is used in this tutorial).
A close look at spelling, punctuation, capitalization and the like will reveal differences in usage between
one publication and another.
Example 1
Red, white, and blue
Red, white and blue
Example 2
Labor
Labour
In a series (Example 1) formal English calls for a comma before the word “and”. Informal English, often
found in newspapers, leave out that comma. This practice originated because of the need for speed when
type was set by hand.
“Labour” is a common British spelling used in many countries around the world.
Publishing groups develop manuals for what is known as style, because there can be so many variations.
Textbooks set the style in schools. Whether you labor or labour doesn’t matter much; what’s most
important is that you are consistent.
Lingo is a form of language fashioned by those who share a special interest. Sports enthusiasts refer to the
baseball field as a “diamond”; basketball players “dunk”; football tailbacks run “sweeps”. Just about
every profession has its own lingo. The advent of email has also brought with it a lingo that is almost like
a foreign language. The use of email lingo is fine if the recipients understand it. Stories on the web or in
print more often than not are written for a general audience. Lingo should be avoided.
By the same token obscure words, particularly those with four syllables, should also be replaced with
common words, unless you are writing for an erudite audience. Erudite? It describes those who have
extensive knowledge, mostly from books. Probably a good word to avoid most of the time.
Editing requires common sense, because rules cannot cover every situation. Still, any changes should be
made with good reason, because the story belongs to the writer. An improvement in the choice of a word
or a phrase or a clarifying insertion or the correction of mistake are appropriate in the editing process.
What happens when substantial changes are required, such as the insertion of a paragraph or putting
paragraphs in different order or reducing a story to half its original length?
In those cases the writer should be consulted. Major changes should be agreed upon between the writer
and the editor before a story is published. The fine line between editing and rewriting can be dissolved by
discussion and agreement. Stories need to contain certain elements that make them worthwhile:
• They should inform, educate, guide and, in some cases, entertain the reader.
• They should be of general interest to the reader.
• They should provide readers what they need to know or have the right to know.
• They should contain timely information.
In short, stories should not be written for the writer but for the reader.
The first step and the last step in the editing process are the same: Read the story from beginning to end.
When practical, read it aloud. Occasionally you’ll hear a bump in the story that needs smoothing. How
clear are the answers to the four basic W questions: Who? What? When? Where? Most stories also should
clearly explain the How and Why as well. Also, editors occasionally leave a stray comma here or a
mistyped word there. Those need to be fixed, because this is the final polishing process. The next step is
publication. Publication is a gratifying last step that follows a long process involving the forming of an
idea, researching, reporting, writing, revising and editing.

Importance of proof Reading

Starting from the days when the first printing press came into existence, proof readers have played an
important role in ensuring that a clean and correct copy came out of the printing presses. With the advent
of the newspaper, proof readers also became an integral part of the newspaper.
The proof readers have to compare the ‘printed’ copy with the original, to find any possible mistakes. The
proof reader’s task is to ensure that the proof tallies with the copy. Proofs come in different forms
depending on the kind of publication process. Proofs appear as single-columns of type printed on long
strips of paper in case of letterpress or offset newspapers using typeset copy. Typed stencil serves as the
proof for mimeographed papers, while for offset papers prepared with a computer; the finished job of
typing must be proofread. It has to be noted that the methods of marking for the last two processes is
different from that used with a printed proof.
Proofreading is usually done by a team of two, a copyholder and a proofreader. The copyholders read
aloud from the copy, indicating paragraphs, commas and other punctuation and spelling out proper
names. The proofreader follows on the proof, marking corrections.
 Exercise
1. What is the role of editor in a newspaper organization?
2. What is copy editing?
3. Why proof reading is more important for a news?
4. What are role of sub-editor?
5. Discuss the structure of editorial department?
6. What is the role of news editor?
 Unit IV
Objectives:
To understand the importance of Typography
To understand the usage of pictures, cartoons and supplement in/with a newspaper

STYLE SHEET
A style sheet is simply a statement and a reflection of the style standards and practices of a publisher of
newspapers, books, or magazines. A newspaper may follow the Associated Press’s guide. But they may
have special rules and recommendations for specific instances, in-house rules that they recommend for
their writers.
Depending on the publisher, some items from a style sheet might be absolute rules and some might be
strong recommendations. A writer or editor might be able to make a case for a usage contrary to the
publisher’s recommendation or accepted practice. The writer or editor can always ask or challenge a
standard practice. These recommendations, both in-house and not, make up the publisher’s style guide or
style sheet.
Style sheets inform writers and editors about spelling, punctuation, and capitalization practices so a
manuscript can be consistent within it as well as match the style of the publication. A style sheet can help
writers and editors maintain consistency and help them reduce errors in story details.
Consistency – in style is essential for a well-edited newspaper. Each newspaper should have a style sheet
containing rules that must be carefully observed by all its staff members.

Typography
The typography is the use of different word and letter designs throughout a print or digital media.
Typography is what gives a text form and it a sense of wonder. For instance if you were to look at a plain
“Calibri” text format on a poster about ancient Egyptians, you probably wouldn’t even notice it. If instead
the artist would use a special font that would add character and relate the font to the body of the text, then
you would probably be more likely to notice the ad poster. There are a couple different categories that fall
under typography. These categories also have subcategories which lie under them.

Typefaces are the first category that falls under typography. The typeface gives the font a fresh, new look.
For example, if you want to make your sign or poster have a horror-type of feeling to it, then you could
use the “Constantia” typeface. If you were looking for a more comical or goofy style of font, you could
use the “comic sans ms” typeface. Fonts will give your words a weight (e.g. bold) or a style within the
class.
There are six different typeface classifications. These are commonly known as font families. You have
several fonts under a different family. The six types are: serif, sans-serif, monospaced, cursive, fantasy,
and script. The most commonly used typeface classes are serif and sans-serif.

Both typography and page design are important to any newspaper. They make new readers interested by
having cool info graphics and fonts. There’s a sense of excitement when you see an interesting typeface
rather than a boring one. The page must be created with finesse and style. Typography is what draws a
reader attention and makes them want to buy the publication or product.

NEWSPAPER MAKEUP
"Newspaper makeup" is defined as the design of a newspaper page or the manner in which pictures,
headlines and news stories are arranged on a page.
The objectives of newspaper makeup are as follows:
 To indicate the importance of the news
 To make the page easy to read
 To make the page attractive

Front-page focal point

Each page of a newspaper has a focal point - a point on the page to which the reader normally looks for
the most important story. Any area can be the final point, depending on the chosen design.
Advertisements can also dictate the focal points of the inside pages of a newspaper.
On the front page of some daily newspapers, the focal point is often in the upper right-hand corner a now-
dated practice that reflects the style of a bygone era. Americans, although trained to read from left to right
and top to bottom, greatly altered this pattern for many years with respect to their newspaper reading
habits. Through the use of banner headlines that extended more than half the width of the page, readers
were trained to seek the upper right-hand corner of the front page. Newspaper readers begin their reading
by following the banner headline across the page and continuing down the right-hand side of the page.
Therefore, many newspaper readers have come to expect the most important story in each issue to appear
or touch in the upper right-hand corner of the front page.
The right-hand focal point is not as important to makeup editors as in the past, since fewer newspapers
use banner headlines on the lead story. However, many newspapers still carry the most important story in
the upper right-hand corner of the front page because of established practices.
Today, a large percentage of newspaper editors use the upper left-hand corner as the focal point. These
editors think that readers, trained in school to read other literature from left to right, prefer their
newspapers to be designed that way too. A few editors still use other areas, such as the upper center of the
front page as the focal point. Only time will tell which is best, if indeed, there is a "best."

Inside page focal point

The focal point on inside pages is the upper left-hand corner if there are no advertisements. Therefore, the
focal point is influenced by a newspaper reader's natural sight tendencies and is not hampered by customs.

On inside pages with advertising, the way ads are placed on the page influences the position of the focal
point. The focal point is always opposite the lower corner of the page that is anchored by the largest mass
of advertising.

Makeup lines
You will use the following four basic types of "lines" in newspaper makeup
1. Vertical Line
The vertical line is used to get the reader to read up and down the page. The line is carried out on the page
by displaying stories, headlines and pictures vertically on the page. It is characteristic of the makeup of
newspapers in early America and is still used to a limited degree in making up newspapers today.
2. Diagonal Line
The diagonal line is used in newspaper makeup to get the reader to read through the page. The line is
carried out on the page by displaying headlines and pictures so together they forma diagonal line from the
upper left-hand corner to the lower right-hand corner of the page. Also, a page can contain a double
diagonal by forming another diagonal in the opposite direction from the first. The diagonal line lends a
sense of rhythm to the page. It is characteristic of many of today's newspapers.
3. Circular Line
The circular line is used in newspaper makeup in an attempt to get the reader to read around the page. The
line is carried out on the page by displaying stories, headlines and pictures on the page so the reader sees
each as being equally important. This creates a tendency on the reader's part to read all the stories. The
circular line is used to a limited degree in modem newspapers.
4. Horizontal Line
The horizontal line is used in newspaper makeup to get the reader to read back and forth on the page. The
line is carried out by displaying stories, headlines and pictures horizontally on the page. The horizontal
line is a post-World War II development and it is probably the most striking change in the appearance of
newspapers in this century. It is a characteristic of many present-day newspapers.

NEWSPAPER DESIGN CONCEPTS

Successfully designing a newspaper page encompasses more than experimentation. It is actually a
calculated art evidenced by the following five newspaper design concepts:
1. Balance

In the balance concept, the page designer (hereafter referred to as the editor, although it may be any
member of the newspaper staff performing this function) tries to balance heads against heads, pictures
against pictures, stories against stories and artwork against artwork. This balance, however, is a relative
balance, and it is not measurable but is something gauged in the viewer's mind. Therefore, the editor has
to sense, rather than measure, the balance for a page. This perception is one developed by experience.

Figure 1 - Individual components of newspaper makeup.

2. Contrast
In the contrast concept, the editor strives to separate display items on the page so each gets the attention it
deserves. The editor uses type, headlines, pictures, white space and color to achieve contrast.
For example, the editor can achieve contrast with type by using regular type with boldface type.
Headlines also can be contrasted by using bold, blackheads or by displaying reman type with italic type.
The editor can achieve contrast with pictures by using verticals with horizontals, small column widths
with large column widths or dark and light photographs. Further, the editor can achieve contrast through
color by displaying black type with color boxes, pictures and heads.
3. Rhythm
By using the rhythm concept, the editor tries to get the reader to move from one element to another
element on the page. Rhythm is achieved in newspaper makeup by staggering headlines, stories and
pictures on the page.
4. Unity
The unity concept of newspaper makeup is used to tie the page together; therefore, the page is not divided
into one, two or more sections. A page that lacks unity is called a paneled page. You can avoid paneled
pages by crossing the column gutters (space between columns) with headlines and pictures in the middle
areas of the page.
5. Harmony
The harmony concept is used to give a newspaper a standard appearance from day to day. Harmony
generally refers to typographic harmony. This means using one typeface for body type and a contrasting
typeface for cutlines. Headlines should have the same typeface as the body type and maybe varied by
weight and the use of italics on occasion.

Figure 2 - Newspaper nameplates.

ELEMENTS OF NEWSPAPER MAKEUP
Makeup creates recognition of a newspaper. A good editor varies the makeup in each issue, so the readers
are not bored with the newspaper. On the other hand, each page will resemble the previous editions
enough so the reader can immediately identify it.

1. Nameplate
The nameplate should be simple in design, attractive, and in harmony with the character of the paper. Its
type should either harmonize or contrast with the headline type. The nameplate can combine type and
artwork together. The artwork however, should not make the nameplate jumbled and hard to read.
The nameplate can be made to float on the page. Although a nameplate that runs the entire width of the
page can be made to float, a floating nameplate usually occupies two or three columns and is placed
anywhere in the upper third of the page.
2. Flags
A flag of the newspaper is a display used by a newspaper to indicate section pages or special pages, such
as editorial, sports and family pages. Just like nameplates, a flag should not dominate its page and should
appear above the fold. Flags can also be floated. (NOTE: Some authorities maintain that a flag is the same
as a nameplate and identify a section head as a "section logo.")
3. Masthead
A masthead of the newspaper is often referred to, incorrectly, as a nameplate. A masthead is a statement
that should appear in every edition to give information about the publication.
These regulations also require that the masthead contain the following information: l Name of
publication, Date of issue, Frequency of publication, Issue number, Subscription price (if applicable) l
Name and address of the publisher , Second-class mailing imprint.
For second-class mailing, postal regulations require a masthead to be within the first five pages of the
newspaper.
The masthead of CE or funded newspapers must be printed in type not smaller than six point. Additional
information on mastheads maybe found in PA Regs or Ship or Station Newspaper/Civilian Enterprise
(CE) Publications, NAVPUBINST 5600.42 series.
4. Headlines
Headlines, or simply heads, contribute to all five concepts of newspaper design - balance, contrast,
rhythm, unity and harmony.
The headline for one story should be separated from that of another. Heads that appear side by side
(called 'Tombstones") could be read as one head and confuse the reader. Tombstoning also prevents each
head from gaining its share of attention.
When headlines and pictures are used together, they should be placed so the reader is not confused by
their positions. You should not place a picture between a headline and a story, because the reader might
begin reading the cutline thinking it is the first paragraph of the story.
Heads of the same column width should not be placed lower on the page than a smaller one, or higher on
the page than a larger one. This does not mean that the bottom of the page cannot contain a large
multicolumn head. It only means that heads of the same width should decrease in point size as they
descend the page.
Do not run stories out from under their heads. This creates a readability problem by confusing the reader
about where to find and finish reading the rest of the story.
A story can be wrapped (to continue a story from one column to the next) under its main head, or lead, to
achieve variation. A story is always turned to the right from its main part. A turn running above the
headline of the story could confuse the reader and cause the individual to abandon the item.
A story requiring a "jump," or continuation, to another page should be split in midsentence, never at a
period of a paragraph. For example, "(Continued on page , col. ) will direct the reader adequately. The
jumped portion should carry a brief head, or key word, taken from the main head to identify it as a
continuation. The "jump head" should be keyed to the same type style and face, although it seldom will be
in the same type size, as the original headline. Never jump a story on a hyphenated word, or carry over
the last line of a paragraph.
5. Pictures/Photo
Readability studies have shown that pictures are one of the most popular elements in a newspaper. For
that reason alone, important pictures should be large and positioned in a manner that maximizes their
display.

Pictures of two-column widths or more should be placed on a page so they stand or hang from something
that gives them support. A picture can stand on a headline, another picture or the bottom of the page. A
picture can hang from a headline, another picture or the top of the page. A picture of two-column widths
or more should not float in copy, but a one-column-wide picture or smaller can float in copy.

Pictures and headlines that are not related should be separated by more than a rule, if the possibility exists
that, when placed together, they are humorous or in bad taste.

Avoid any clashing items. For example, do not place an accident story next to a mortuary advertisement.
(Discuss the placement of advertisements with your editor or the CE newspaper publisher.)
If you run two pictures, two boxes or a picture and a box side by side, except in cases where the subjects
are related, they tend to cancel each other out. It is best to separate unrelated artwork with body type.
Reader's eyes have a tendency to follow the line of sight of people in pictures. Therefore, if people in a
picture look off the page, readers will tend to look off the page. To prevent the reader from doing this, the
main subjects in pictures should look straight ahead or into the page. This also holds true for pictures
showing action. The motion should go toward the center of the page whenever possible. This reader
tendency can be used to your advantage. The line of sight and motion can be used to guide the reader's
eye through a page.
Try to avoid running pictures on the horizontal fold of a newspaper, because the area along the fold
becomes distorted once the newspaper has been folded.
Do not give a picture more display space than it deserves, especially a "mug shot" (portrait-type, close-up
photograph of an individual). Mug shots can float in copy, but it is best if they stand on or hang from
something. If a mug shot floats, it is best to float it within a sentence in a paragraph. Mug shots should be
accompanied by at least a name line for identification. By omitting the name line, the reader is forced into
trying to identify the individual in the picture.
"Thumbnails" also are used in making up newspaper pages. The term refers to half-column mug shots. A
thumbnail is best used when it looks into the story or directly out of the page. A name line, in most cases,
should also be used with thumbnails.

Newspaper Format
The three formats used in ship and station newspapers are full format, tabloid and magazine.
These formats are shown in figure 8-5 and are described in the following text.
a. Full format
A full-format (also known as broadsheet) newspaper is one that measures 16 or 17 inches wide and
21 to 22 inches deep. A fill-format newspaper can be made to have five columns, six columns, seven and
one-half columns, eight columns or nine columns.
b. Tabloid
A tabloid newspaper is about half the size of a full-format newspaper. It measures 10 to 12 inches
wide and 14 to 18 inches deep. A tabloid format newspaper can have two, three, four, five, five and one-
half and six columns.

Newspaper design
Other important considerations (beyond the news gathering, news writing and copy editing
aspects) are the techniques for putting the material together so that your paper emphasizes what
is important. You will also need to know what makes an attractive appearance and draws and holds the
reader’s eye. All of this is done through good layout and makeup designed to achieve the best overall
appearance and style of the publication and to allow the reader to obtain the maximum information in the
shortest time. Layout is the planning of the position and page that each piece of copy or art will occupy in
your publication. This includes your choosing the styles and sizes of headlines desired, the kinds and
sizes of type to be used and deciding how to use them, and indicating these plans on the layout sheets.
Makeup is normally the execution of that layout by the publisher (the compositor), although sometimes
the terms layout and makeup are used interchangeably. For instance, the name “makeup editor” is used on
some newspapers instead of “layout editor.” THE DUMMY Indicating on the layout sheet where each
element will be placed (sometimes called dummying or roughing in) may be done as each segment of
material is forwarded to the publisher. Some publishers will even give you rough proofs of galley type,
headlines and art and let you make a paste-up dummy on a layout sheet. Paste-up dummies ensure a high
degree of accuracy in page making.

Whites, grays and blacks

A newspaper page is made up of varying degrees of whites, grays and blacks. Some pages may contain
other colors. A good editor strives for relative balance of colors on a page and will not let any color
dominate the page. You will not have any problems with white pages, black pages or any other colored
pages; your concern is staying away from gray pages.
There are many ways to relieve grayness, or gray-out, which is created by large areas of body type. One
way is to use multicolumn pictures to break up columns of type. Another way is to use thumbnail
photographs.
Type also can be used effectively to relieve grayness. To breakup gray areas in a long story, you can set
selected paragraphs in boldface type, if used sparingly. Another method of breaking up long gray stories
is to use boldface subheads set about two points larger than your body type size. A third method of using
type to break up grayness is to use boldface, all-cap lead-ins. This method is particularly effective in
matter set in wider measures. In two-column matter, the first three to five words of the paragraph
containing a lead-in can be set in boldface and all caps, and in one-column matter, the first one to three
words of the paragraph can be set in boldface and all caps.
The paragraphs to be set in any of these boldfaced methods should be the paragraphs that introduce a new
element into the story or ones that contain information of more than usual interest. Two paragraphs using
the same boldfaced method should not be run side by side because they tend to cancel each other out.
Note that the use of boldface type is not favored by the editors of contemporary newspapers as much as
by the editors with traditional leanings. "Modem" editors rely on the use of different design concepts to
eliminate large gray areas on their pages and consequently have little use for boldface type, except
possibly as subheads.
Other useful devices in breaking up grayness are initial letters kickers and hammerheads and sandwiches.
A sandwich is a device for handling "reefers". It is a small, sideless box made with the same rule used for
regular boxes. The reefer type in the sandwich should be set in boldface and not be indented. No headline
is needed and it should be brief, containing not more than two or three lines.
The sandwich should be placed about 2 1/2 inches deep into the story. Presumably, this practice gives the
reader enough time to become interested enough in the subject being addressed to want the related
information being offered. The use of the sandwich assumes the reader will immediately turn to the
related story, read it and then return to the original story and continue reading below the sandwich.
Special effects can be obtained with special art, such as boxes and ornaments (art borders around
individual stories, announcements and ads or the entire page). These devices are also effective gray
breakers but should be used sparingly, so their use does not create a cluttered effect. In using boxes, you
can indent a story on all sides and use a box of white space all around the story. You can also indent on all
sides of a story and then use a ruled box. Dingbats, once in vogue, are now considered old-fashioned and
are shunned by modem editors. White space provides margins to frame your page. Side margins should be
the same width, but bottom margins should be about one-fourth wider than your top margins to give your
page a lifted look White space is also used to give breathing room around headlines and pictures in much
the same manner as margins frame the page. However, you should make an effort to avoid the appearance
of trapped white space. White space should run to the outside of the page.

Rules
Rules are commonly used typographic devices in newspaper makeup. Properly used, they separate
unrelated items and unite related ones. The two types of rules used are the column rule and the cutoff rule.
c. Column Rule
The column rule is a vertical, thin line that runs from the top to the bottom of a newspaper page. Use the
column rule to separate columns of type and to separate unrelated items, such as photographs and stories,
from the rest of the page. Part of a column can be deleted to indicate that the items joined are related
d. Cutoff Rule
A cutoff rule is a horizontal, thin line that runs across one or more columns of a newspaper page,
depending on the width of the items to be separated or united. A cutoff rule is used to separate unrelated
items, such as boxes, photographs, multicolumn headlines and advertisements, from the rest of the page.
A cutoff rule helps the reader's eye turn the corner from where a story ends in one column to where it
begins in the next column, except when the story wraps from the bottom of a page. Then no cutoff rule is
needed

Picture story layout

The picture story layout is a special challenge to a layout editor. A good picture story is a logical, well-
organized, self-contained unit in which each part has a specific function.
The format used to layout the picture story depends on space limitations and what you, as the layout artist,
consider the most attractive arrangement. With an imaginative photographer, the number of interesting
picture stories your publication can produce are unlimited. Once you have been provided with a variety of
interesting, action-packed pictures suitable for reproduction, the layout is up to you. Let your experience
and good judgment be your guide in determining the arrangement of pictures, headlines, cutlines, text and
borders.
A good picture story layout can add immeasurable y to the interest and attractiveness of your publication.
Like feature stories, picture stories can be made up in advance and used as either regular attractions or to
spice up occasional issues.
In the following text, we cover the major points of assembling a picture story.

Number of pictures
The number of pictures required to make up a picture story depends on the importance and complexity of
the subject. However, an odd number of photographs should be used in a double-truck layout. The term
double truck, also called a centerfold, is used for a two-page layout made up as one page, with the
"gutter," or normal margin between the two pages, eliminated.

Lead and last picture

The most important picture of any picture story is the one that opens the story - the lead picture. This
picture has a double function. First, it must attract the reader's attention and make that person want to
know more about the subject. For that reason it should be the largest in your picture story. Second, it must
show the subject and theme of the story in a graphically interesting form.
Almost as important as the lead picture is the last picture. The closing picture should show the reader the
significance of the subject to the storyline or theme.
Body of the story
The body, which shows important scenes of the subject in action, must be varied and lively in visual
rendition and presentation. To provide this variety and liveliness in a story, the photographer should start
with a good script, excellent change of pace in coverage techniques and a quick eye for unexpected
developments during actual shooting. By careful study of major picture magazines, photographers, as well
as layout artists, can gain a great deal of insight into the type of pictures being used in picture story
assignments.
Picture direction
Some photographs, because of their compositional direction, are natural right-hand or left-hand
photographs. This means that the photograph is a natural to be used on the right or left side of a page,
photo display or picture layout. Picture stories are viewed in the same manner in which we read, from left
to right. Therefore, the lead photograph should be one that has the subject facing toward the viewer's right
and the ending photograph facing toward the viewer's left. When possible, all lead and ending
photographs should be taken twice: once with a left-hand direction and again with a right-hand direction.
By duplicating these shots, you provide flexibility for layout. All photographs have direction: left, right,
upward, downward, straight in or straight out of the page.
Headlines, cutlines and text
Headlines, cutlines and text have double functions. First, they give the reader facts that supplement the
pictures editorially. Second, they serve graphically as elements of composition that contribute to the
organization of the picture story.

IMPORTANCE OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Photojournalism is an arm of journalism that uses images to tell stories and report events. It is different
from other forms of photography such as commercial, Architecture and industrial photography. This
could be seen in its adherence to certain journalism norms like News, Timeliness Objectivity, fairness and
accurate representation of the events.

Photojournalism involves the use of camera to record events as they happen. Like a news reporter, a
photojournalist is a reporter but he or she writes with camera and disseminates news events through
images. Photojournalists use pictures to tell stories interpret event and communicate their feelings about
the society as Journalists hoping for a better society.

Continuing the importance of photos in newspapers, we should endeavor to improve our photos and
newspapers by using more photographs in the pages and this will help improve the credibility and success
of the papers.

IMPORTANCE OF CARTOONS
Cartoons are an integral part of newspapers, conveying messages or expressing public opinion
immaculately. They are also considered as the pictorial overture or introduction to any key event or
personality.
There are various types of cartoons..
Pocket cartoon
It is a single-column cartoon having a fixed place on the first page of newspapers. Pocket cartoons deal
with something related to the life of common people. They may be compassionate, humorous, or satirical.
Such types of cartoons deal with a single idea or perception. They convey to the readers an added
message or information that is not provided by the articles or news stories.
Political cartoon
It is also known as editorial cartoon that deals with contemporary political developments or events.
Political cartoons are traditionally three-column cartoons. They are not always humorous, but rather more
critical or sarcastic. Usually such cartoons appear on page 1, depending on the significance or impact of
the event.
Strip cartoon
They are comic strips used to regale the readers and make the newspaper more appealing and attractive to
common readers and younger generation.

Purpose of cartoons
In most cases the purpose of newspaper cartoons is to add humor and sarcasm, hitting an individual or
event above or below the belt often in an abysmal manner. Almost every cartoon has a unique character.
Cartoons are recognized more by the lines and caricatures rather than by the name of the cartoonist. Most
pictures comprise a caption that is apt and relevant to the sketch.
Cartoons are also considered as the lighter side of editorial opinion, not in words but through sketches and
lines. They are a kind of running commentary on social changes, mistakes, failures, success,
accomplishments, and major contemporary events.
Newspaper cartoonists enjoy ample freedom to express their opinions or views, echoing the outlook of
readers. Cartoonists always pick up news subjects, related to the present on a day-to-day basis.
Cartoonists fear none while presenting their opinion on any event or individual.
Shankar Pillai is considered as the Father of cartoons in India. Some of the other renowned cartoonists of
our country who have left an eternal imprint on the mind of readers are R.K. Laxman, Mario Miranda,
Kutty, Sudhir Tailang, Sudhir Dhar and Ranga.

Caricature
Caricature is a type of visual communication which carries the message with exaggerated drawings. It is
the briefest and sharpest way of stating a criticism. From the very beginning, it aims to address the
audience to the lacking and improper parts of society. Any subject which concerns human kind can be
subject of caricature. With modernism, subject has became as important as object. As an art branch of
modernism, caricature has became a medium, which all the hostility and insurrection found voice in.
While the purpose of art has been discussed repeatedly, caricature’s is brief and clear. Its goal is to wake
people up with a sledge hammer; and it is very successful in reaching its goal. It does not fear to be like or
disliked, it is very honest in its manner. It is like a naughty boy of graphic arts; who can assault anything
he wants. Caricature is rebellious, rough, and destructive. However, it never looks irritating because of the
cleverness it holds. Sometimes caricature uses naiveness as a barrier; and strike from back of it. As
Spanish caricature artist Vasquez De Sola mentioned, “Caricature is the most gentle way of saying God
Damn”.

Because of its attitude, caricature is always struggling with government administrations, which is the
reason of censorship. It is tried to be neutralized with censorships. Since caricature is a product of
enlightenment, and enlightenment comes with the individual and judgemental thinking; it is always in
battle with conservative fraction. Their battle is just like the epic one between the Church and Illuminati
in the history. Church was assaulting to Illuminati to prevent their secrets from being revealed.
Government administrations have the same attitude against caricature. In fact, contrary arts in developing
countries are faced with censor more often; humour artists are repeatedly being sued in developing
countries such as Turkey. Due to this pressure, the importance of contrary arts, such as caricature and
graphic humour has to be realized.
Comic stripes
A comic strip is a series of drawings that tell a story, especially in a newspaper or magazine. Before there
were Superhero comic books there were Funny Books. People called them "funny" books because inside
were reprints of comic strips from newspapers, much like the Garfield or Calvin and Hobbs strips you
read today. One of the first American funny books came over 100 years ago! In 1896 a book called The
Yellow Kid came out. It was the first time a comic strip was printed into a pulp magazine. Newspapers
were used for their young readers, now as newspapers slowly become extinct, comic strips become the
first casualty in a move away from print and towards the internet.

SUPPLEMENT
It is printed materials which has news context and is distributed free with newspaper. Newspaper
supplement has softer news than news in main newspaper. Newspaper supplements are related to
entertainment in two ways: first, newspaper supplements themselves are a type of entertainment. It is a
medium that pledges having a good time for individuals that want to spend their weekend at home. And
second, it takes on the task of a guide that orientates individuals through the ways of having fun.
Newspaper supplements inculcate their readers about where to go, what to eat, what to buy or what to
watch, how to predict future (like Numerological predictions) etc. The regional newspaper brings
supplementary like numerological predictions, astrology, religion oriented information, focus special
events in local level, and cinema related news and comic stripes for children and common information
with stories for Adults.
Exercise
1. What you mean by style sheet?
2. What is typography?
3. What is supplement?
4. Discuss the role of cartoons or caricature in a newspaper?
5. Describe the important elements for a news paper design.
 Unit V
Objectives
To understand the freedom of press and circulation in India
To understand the importance of newspaper promotion and advertisements

FREEDOM OF PRESS

Freedom of expression has always been emphasized as an essential basis for the democratic functioning
of a society. The reasons for this are: the right of an individual to self-fulfillment, which right requires the
communication of thought; the importance of constantly attempting to attaint he truth, an attempt which is
frustrated if information is suppressed or comment blocked; the inherent democratic right to participate in
decision-making, which obviously implies the freedom to obtain, communicate and discuss information,;
and the practical importance of maintaining the precarious balance between healthy cleavage and the
necessary consensus; "coercion of expression is likely to be ineffective (and)…. Conceals the real
problems confronting a society… It is likely to result in neglect of the grievances which are the actual
basis of the unrest and thus prevent their correction" Freedom of press has always been a cherished right
in all democracies . "Growth and development of representative democracy is so much intertwined with
growth of press that the press has come to be recognized as an institutional limb of modern democracy."
The newspaper not only presents facts but also gives interpretation of facts and statements of opinions
through its editorials and also propagates ideas and ideologies. They are supposed to guard public
interests by bringing to fore the misdeeds, failings and lapses of the government and other bodies
exercising governing power. The press has therefore been rightly described as the Fourth Estate.

Constitution of India makes no specific mention of freedom of press under Article 19 (1) (a). Dr.
Ambedkar made it clear that freedom of press is implicit in the right to freedom of speech and expression
guaranteed under Article 19 (1) (a)'. He further said that press and individual stand on the same footing
with regard to the exercise of the fundamental rights. Press cannot claim higher rights than which are
given to an individual. In contrast, the First Amendment of the American Constitution prohibits the
Congress from making any law abridging the freedom of speech and the press. The American Supreme
Court by judicial interpretation held that the First. Amendment has operated as a limitation on the state
action infringing freedom of speech and the press (Lee Lovinge, 1969). The protection given by the First
Amendment was expanded by the courts as to apply to an action by any branch or agency of the Federal
Government,( Tucker v. Texas, 1946) as well as by the state by its incorporation through the Fourteenth
Amendments Attempts have been made all over the world by governments to control or gag the press for
publishing articles which are irritant or critical of its action or expose its weaknesses. The government
may pressurize the press by making laws imposing restrictions on the price to be charged, or on the
number of pages to be published, or regulate the area or space allotted to advertisements or by
withholding government advertisements. All these restrictions in one way or the other have an effect on
the circulation of the newspaper.

Content of the Freedom Freedom of press means freedom from interference from authority which would
have the effect of interference with the content and circulation of newspapers. There cannot be any
interference with that freedom in the name of public interest. The purpose of the press is to advance
public interest by publishing facts and opinions without which a democratic electorate can make
responsible judgments. Freedom of press is the heart of social and political intercourse and it is the
primary duty of the courts to uphold it and invalidate all laws or administrative actions which interfere
with it contrary to the constitutional mandate.
The freedom of expression has four broad social purposes to serve:
1. It helps an individual to attain self fulfillment.
2. It assists in the discovery of truth.
3. It strengthens the capacity of an individual in participating in decision making.
4. It provides a mechanism by which it is possible to establish a reasonable balance between
stability and social change.
Freedom of press came to be regarded as an important right in all liberal or democratic countries having a
written constitution. This status was a result of considerable sacrifice and sufferings made over a long
period of time. While moving the "Bill of Rights" in the American Congress in 1789, James Madison
declared that (Constituent Assembly Debates, Vol. 1, p. 59) "the right of freedom of speech is secured,
the liberty of press is expressly declared to be beyond the reach of the congress".

Freedom of speech and liberty of press have been given a prominent place in the basic documents of the
United Nations and certain other international bodies. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948,
11 the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1966 and the European Convention on
Human Rights recognize the importance of the freedom of opinion and expression. All of them, declare
that everyone should have the right to freedom of opinion and expression without any interference. This
freedom carries with it right to receive and communicate ideas orally or written through any media.
However, the respective states can impose reasonable restrictions in the interest of national security,
public order, public health or morals, and protection of reputation of others.
Freedom of expression in a broad sense carries with it several specific rights all linked together in a
"continuum" made increasingly perceptible by modern technological advance. In a classic sense freedom
of opinion includes "the right to say what one thinks and not to be harassed for ones opinion". Freedom of
expression in a limited sense includes the right to seek receive and impart information and ideas
regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print in the form of art, or through any other media of
one’s choice. This freedom of expression when put to use through mass media acquires a new dimension
and becomes freedom of information. 14 Free expression is indispensable and it is a means to discover
and spread political truth. The real danger to expression is inert people." Public information helps citizens
to know what is taking place.

Right to Circulation
Freedom of press consists of a number of rights and one such right is freedom of publication. Publication
means dissemination and circulation. Liberty of circulation is as essential to that freedom as the liberty of
publication. Indeed without circulation the publication would be of little value." The newspapers should
have the freedom to publish any number of pages or to circulate it to any number of persons." Attempts
were made to regulate the dissemination and circulation of newspapers by the government through
legislative or executive measures. Ramesh Thappar, Virendra, Sakai Papers, Bennett Coleman and Indian
Express" all cases bear testimony to these attempts.

Prohibition on Circulation
In Ramesh Thappar the question was the scope of the freedom of circulation under Article 19 (1) (a) of
the Constitution. The government of Madras banned the entry and circulation of an english weekly, 'Cross
roads', published from Bombay into the city of Madras. The Madras Maintenance of Public Order Act,
1949, permitted the State to prohibit the entry into or circulation of any document or classes of document
within the state or any part of it. The petitioner contended that this provision contravened Article 19 (1)
(a) of the Constitution and was hence void. The state argued that the expression 'public safety' in Section
9 (1-A) relates to law and order which in turn has a relation to "security of province". In other words, it
amounted to imposition of reasonable restriction in the interest of security of state under Article 19 (2).
However, Section 9 (1-A) specifically refers to `public safety' and the 'maintenance of public order' as the
purpose for which any action may be taken. The question before the Court was whether to read public
order as a wider concept inclusive of public safety or treat it as distinct and exclusive. If public safety and
public order were treated as distinct grounds then the Madras legislature was incompetent to legislate a
law in the interest of public safety. The Supreme Court held that the expression "public safety" ordinarily
means security of the public or freedom from danger. If understood in that sense, then anything which
affects public health may be taken to be covered by the expression public safety. The restraint on speech
would not be justified in the interest of public order or public safety as they are too wide to be covered by
the narrower expression." Patanjali Sastry, J. emphasized that unless a law restricting freedom of speech
and expression is solely directed against undermining the security of state or overthrow of it, such a law
will not be covered by Article 19 (2), although the restrictions may be in the interest of public order.
Hence, it means that Section 9 (1-A) which authorised the imposition of restrictions for wider purpose of
securing 'public safety', or maintenance of public order fell outside the authorised restrictions under
Article 19 (2) and therefore void and unconstitutional. This means that the expression public order and
public safety must give way to security of state. An offence which endangers security of state can be
restricted but not an offence covering public order. The Supreme Court did not go into the nature of the
material appearing in the weekly. The decision merely stated that the government was not authorised to
prevent entry of matter in the interest of public safety or in the interest of public order. The decision
positively laid down that the State can impose restrictions on a newspaper only when it is made with a
view to combat and prevent activities which may undermine or overthrow it.

In Virendra v. State of Punjab, the Constitutional validity of Section 3 of the Punjab Special Powers
(press) Act 1956 was raised. Section 3 (1) authorised the government to prohibit the entry of a newspaper,
leaflet or any publication if itcontains matters likely to affect or prejudice maintenance of communal
harmony or public order. The virtual effect of Section 3 was that it completely prohibited the entry or
circulation of papers published in New Delhi into the whole of Punjab. Since Section 3 did not place any
time limit for the operation of any order under it or provide for representation against it, the section was
held to be unreasonable and unconstitutional.

Price and Page Control

In Sakai Papers (P) Ltd. v. Union of India, the Newspapers (Price and Page) Act 1956, and the Daily
Newspaper (Price and Page) order 1960 prescribed the number of pages of a newspaper and the price to
be charged. The order also prescribed the number of supplement to be published, the area and the size of
the advertisement matter in relation to other matters contained in a newspaper. In defense of these
measures, the government contended that the intention of the order was to regulate the price charged for a
newspaper in relation to their pages." It was also said that the order was a necessary sequel to the Press
Commissions recommendation that unfair practices and monopolistic tendencies should be curbed.

The petitioners contended that the impugned order resulted in compelling them either to raise the price of
the paper if they want to maintain the present page level, or to cut down the number of pages to maintain
the existing price. Either way this would result in reducing the circulation of the paper. If the price of the
paper was raised, it would become unattractive to a certain class of readers. Reduction in page level leads
in turn to reduction in the area of news published. This again would make the paper unattractive to the
readers. In other words the Act and the order was designed to curtail the freedom of press and as such
violated freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19 (1) (a). They contended that the
order interfered with their right to disseminates news and views.

The court accepting the arguments of the petitioner held that the Act and the Order clearly violated
freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19 (1) (a). The Order if allowed to operate
would result in curtailing the freedom of the press. As freedom of press was accepted to be part of
freedom of speech and expression under Article 19 (1) (a), reasonable restrictions could only be imposed.
Freedom of speech and expression includes the right to propagate one's ideas. Right to propagation of
ideas carries with it the right to publish, to dissetrinate and circulate them to any class of readers, subject
ofcourse to the imposition of reasonable restrictions under Article 19 (2). The fixation of number of pages
which a newspaper is entitled to publish may bring down the volume of circulation of some newspapers
by making the price unattractive. Again this would indirectly compel newspapers to restrict the
dissemination of news and views and thereby affect the rights guaranteed under Article 19 (1) (a).

Newsprint Control
The Supreme Court was again asked to examine the effect of newsprint policy of the government on the
circulation of newspaper in Bennett Coleman and Co. Ltd. v. Union of India. As there was a shortage of
indigenous newsprint, its import was regulated by the Import Control Order 1955, issued under Section 3
and 4A of the Import and Exports Control Act 1947. The Government passed the Newsprint Control
Order 1962 in exercise of its powers under Section 3 of the Essential Commodities Act 1955. The Object
of the Newsprint Control Order was stated to be to make an equitable distribution of it at afair price.
Clause 3 of the Newsprint control order placed restrictions on acquisition, sale and consumption of
Newsprint. Clause 3 (3) declared that no consumer of newsprint shall in any licensing period, consume or
use newsprint in excess of the quantity authorised by the controller from time to time. Clause 3 (3A)
further stated that no consumer of the newsprint, other than a publisher of text books of national interest
should use any kind of paper other than newsprint except under a written permission granted by the
Controller. The Central Government laid down its newsprint policy for the year 1972-73. This policy
placed certain restrictions on the newspapers in utilisation of newsprint. They were:
1. No newspaper or new edition can be started by a common ownership unit even within its
authorised quota of newsprint.
 2. Maximum number of pages is fixed at 10. No adjustment is allowed between circulation and the
pages, so as to increase the pages.
3. No interchangeability is permitted, between different papers of common ownership units in
different edition of the same paper.
4. 20% increase in page level upto a maximum of 10 pages has been given to papers which are
having a circulation of less than 1,00,000/- and 3% increase in case of papers having circulation
above 1,00,000/-.
5.
The petitioners, raised the question, whether the newsprint control policy was a newsprint control or
newspaper control.

According to Mr. Palkhivala who appeared for the petitioners, the measure was the "Newspaper control
with a degree of subtlety and sophistication". Rationing of newsprint is newsprint control. When once the
quota is fixed it results in post quota restrictions or newspaper control.
In the instant case, the newspapers control was achieved by the measures adopted in relation to common
ownership units. The common ownership units were:
a) prevented from bringing out newspapers or new editions of their dailies.
b) not permitted to have interchangeability of quota within their unit.
The State argued that the subject matter of the import policy was rationing of imported commodity and
equitable distribution of newsprint. The restrictions in fixing the page level and circulation were
necessary to see that the imported newsprint was properly utilised for the purpose for which it was
imported.

Further, the state contended that the rationing and distribution of quota of newsprint and regulation of its
supply was not a direct infringement of Article 19 (1) (a). The decisions of the United States Supreme
Court in Red Lion Broadcasting Co. and O'Brien, were cited in the support. In Red Lions Case the court
held, that "neither regulation nor direction with regard to medium of expression encroaches on the First
Amendment right of the American Constitution. Regulatory statutes which do not control the content of
speech but incidently limit the unfettered exercise are not to be regarded as a type of law which the First
Amendment of the American Constitution forbade the Congress of the United States to enact. In O'Brien's
case the court held that any incidental limitation or incidental restriction was permissible if the same was
essential to the furtherance of important governmental interest in regulating speech and freedom.
The Court held, that the policy of the government to limit all papers to 10 page limit was arbitrary. It
amounted to treating unequals as equals and discrimination against those who by virtue of their
efficiency, standard and service and because of their all India stature acquired a higher page leve1. The
newsprint policy failed to make a distinction between big english dailies having all India circulation and
small dailies having regional circulation with regard to the allocation of newsprint. The Government's
policy to encourage small dailies cannot be allowed to strangulate the freedom of speech and expression
of the big dailies.

The newspaper should be left free to decide how they should adjust their newsprint. For the purpose of
allotment of newsprint number of pages and volume of circulation of a newspaper may be relevant, but
thereafter the newspaper should be left free to decide their page level, volume of circulation and new
editions within their quota alloted fairly. Freedom of press carries with it the right to achieve any volume
of circulation. The growth in circulation does not mean that there should not be growth in pages. The
restrictions on newspapers that they cannot use the quota of newsprint to increase circulation would
therefore be violation of the Constitution.

Circulation
News paper printing is big business. In a very real sense, newspaper making, as it is now conducted, is a
manufacturing process. It is, moreover, a complicated one. The raw material consists of two, and
frequently three, things: news, including editorial opinion; features; and advertising. The news is gathered
and processed by the editorial department. Features are usually bought from syndicates and are intended
to build and hold circulation. The advertising, both display and classified, is collected and serviced by the
advertising department. The actual production is completed by the mechanical department, and the
finished product is the printed newspaper. Its distribution or marketing is handled by the circulation
department.
Circulation is the life blood of the newspaper. In its way circulation is an index not only of the influence
of a newspaper but of its value as a going concern. As such it is not the only yardstick but it is perhaps the
most important one. Newspapers and other publications manage to exist with little advertising, and a few
in modern times have survived without any advertising, but none can hope to last unless it has the vital
element of circulation.

The problem of circulation is primarily one of sales and distribution. The depression years have placed a
new emphasis on the importance of circulation, the circulation manager, and circulation revenue. In a
sense the pendulum has swung part way back to the days when newspapers survived or perished on the
strength of their respective circulations and advertising was still in the embryo stage. Certain it is, at any
rate, that the years since 1929 have witnessed not only a new recognition of circulation as a vital element
in newspaper publishing but, more especially, have stressed the importance of quality circulation as
against mere bulk circulation.

In similar fashion, the circulation manager attained unprecedented importance in the newspaper
organization after 1929. It used to be that he was a person of no special training and, seemingly, of no
particular importance in the office. On most newspapers, he was a necessary functionary
who did a more or less routine job in a more or less routine way. He saw that the papers were distributed
and that was about all. He was rarely, if ever, consulted and, in general, was a person of no great
consequence.

Today all of this is changed. Not only has circulation itself been re-evaluated, but the circulation manager
or director, as he is known on some of the larger papers, is an important personage in the newspaper
setup. He is a specialist in his line just as the advertising manager, the promotion man, the chief editorial
writer, and the mechanical superintendent are in theirs. circulation manager of today is a four-ply
executive. He is at once sales manager, delivery superintendent, office manager, and an
executivedepartment head. "Today's circulation manager is no longer responsible for circulation alone,"
the editorial went on. "He holds in his hands much of the responsibility for the success or failure of the
entire publication. He, therefore, must counsel with every other department, he must give his help in all
matters of policy, no matter what department they may directly affect. He must consider carefully every
change in plans or procedure in the light of how they will increase or lose circulation, and thereby affect
the entire business” (Frank S. Newell, circulation director of the Toledo Blade and former president of the
International Circulation Managers).

Sales promotion

Sales promotion is one of the most loosely used terms in the marketing vocabulary. We define sales
promotion as demand. Stimulating devices designed to supplement advertising and facilitate personal
selling. In other words, sales promotion signifies all those activities that supplement, co-ordinate and
make the efforts of personal selling and advertising more effective. It is non recurrent in nature which
means it can’t be used continuously.

Sales promotion consists of diverse collection of incentive tools, mostly short-term designed to stimulate
quicker and / or greater purchase of a particular product by consumers or the trade. Where as advertising
offers a reason to buy, sales promotion offers an incentive to buy. Sales promotion includes tools for
consumer promotion (for example samples, coupons, prizes, cash refund, warranties, demonstrations,
contest); trade promotion (for example buying allowances, free goods, merchandise allowances, co-
operative advertising, advertising and display allowances, dealer sales contests); and sales-force
promotion (for example bonuses, contests, sales rallies etc).

Sales promotion tools vary in their specific objectives. A free sample stimulates consumer trial, while a
free management advisory service cements a long-term relationship with a retailer.

From the marketer‟s perspective, sales promotion serves three essential roles it informs, persuades and
reminds prospective and current customers and other selected audiences about a company and its
products. The relative importance of those roles varies according to the circumstances faced by a firm.

Another purpose of sales promotion is persuasion. The intense competition among different newspaper
and other media puts tremendous pressure on the promotional programmes of organisers. In India, even a
product designed to satisfy a basic physiological need requires strong persuasive promotion, because
readers/audience/consumers have many alternatives to choose from, persuasion is even more important.

Increasing your newspaper circulation isn’t an easy task, but with hard work and smart promotion
packages, it’s very possible. In order to do just that, however, you have to think outside the box. In fact,
get a little crazy. Create promotions that will give your customers something that they both
want and need.

There are different kinds of promotions used by the sellers or media organizations The main sale
promotion techniques are:
 Price discounts
 Offering a larger amount of the product at the same price
 Group sales
 Gifts
 Loyalty gifts
 Samples
 Games, contests, raffles.
All these used for increase their circulation and generate income for their organization.
Income generation

For a newspaper there are two primary sources of revenue – the amount received through circulation and
that received from advertising. In the recent years due to increasing competition, the newspaper cover
prices have decreased earliler a typical newspaper used to cost more than 2 rupees. Today the cost is as
little as Rs.1 or Rs. 1.50 in some markets for even major newspapers and that too with additional
supplements. Hence, newspapers’ reliance and advertising as a source of revenue has increased. In india,
advertising accounts for up to 80% of the revenue of newspapers according to a report by Ifra, world’s
leading association for newspaper and media publishing. The volume of space devoted to advertisements
and news varies from news paper to newspaper and also from time to time depending mainly on the
availability of advertisements and news item.

The cost of newspaper space depends on a number of factore like the number of markets bought and the
newspaper’s circulation, type of news paper, selection of colour or black&whi9te ad, cost of operation,
size of the ad, placement section and day of the week, discounts available, etc.

Rate units: In earlier times, the unit of advertising rate was an agete line. An agate is a measure of space,
usually one column wide and 1/14 of the of an inch deep, used especially for classified advertisements.
Today, newspaper rates are also quoted in column inches or column centimeters. The Inter Ministerial
Rate Structure Committee (2001) constituted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
recommended that for rate purposes, Standard Advertising Unit (SAU) should be square centimeter.
While most national newspapers publish their rates in rupees per square centimeter, a majority of
vernacular language papers still follow the colomn centimeter unit.
Rates also vary depending on the placement of an ad. Newspaper rates are usually specified as Run-of-
Press (ROP) rates, which allow publishers to position the advertisement on any page. Alternatively,
advertisers can request placement at a certain location, for example The Telegraph charges 100%
premium for the front page, 75% for the back page and 25% for fixed positions. ROP ads are at a reduced
price than the preferred placements for which a higher preferred positions rate is charged. Newspapers
may also offer special production capabilities for extra charges. There are extra charges for preprinted
colour inserts.

Advertisement as a major source for the survival of press

Newspapers get more than half of their revenues from advertisers, and most radio and TV stations get all
their revenues from advertising and sponsoring (Weis & Burke 1986). Obviously, the advertisers have a
strong influence on news contents. Such an influence is usually considered unethical, but is nevertheless
difficult to avoid. In order to attract advertisers, the media often generate a "buying mood" by discussing
topics of relevance to the advertised products and avoiding any criticism of commercial products or of
consumerism in general (McManus 1995, Bagdikian 1983, Cirino 1973).
The influence of advertisers may be even more direct, although clandestine. Occasionally, advertisers
have imposed economic sanctions against newspapers that have criticized their products (Weis & Burke
1986, Bagdikian 1983). Discussions of the health hazards of smoking are almost absent from magazines
that carry tobacco advertisements, although less important health hazards are covered extensively
(Warner et al. 1992, Weis & Burke 1986). The owners of tobacco factories can influence even magazines
that do not allow tobacco advertisements because the same investors also own other companies that
advertise in these magazines (Weis & Burke 1986).
Advertisers and sponsors are afraid of controversial programs unless this is exactly their niche. It is easy
to observe that the more competition there is between the news media, the more entertaining and less
serious becomes the news programs and political debates (Ericson et al. 1991, Gaunt 1990).

Media & politics

Politicians are very dependent on the print news because people mainly base their voting decisions on the
presentation of politicians in the news media. The media appeal of a politician may be more important
than his/her political skills, and consequently we are seeing more and more media people and actors going
into politics. The politicians have to adapt their messages to the press. The political debate becomes
superficial and toothless. Political candidates resort to short slogans and entertainment and avoid
controversial subjects and complicated issues. Favorite issues are the most button-pushing ones like crime
and sex, and indeed these issues are among the most salient topics on the agenda of election campaigns.
The need for personalization has often caused the private lives of politicians to figure more prominently
on the public agenda than debates over complicated social issues.

The other side of politicians were forces to violate the press freedm. The media in South Asian countries
like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh has never been more obedient to corporate and political forces as it is
today. As these countries are scrutinized for human rights violations and atrocities committed against
minority groups, the freedom of journalists to objectively report is ceasing to exist, with governments and
legal systems failing to protect or rescue them. Every day, journalists battle for autonomy, fight for their
rights to speak out freely, protect media pluralism and counter the ills of monopolies.
And politicizations owning media for their safety as well as propagate their political ideas through their
own media.
 Namathu M.G.R., Jaya TV, etc in southern India is owned by controlled by former Tamil Nadu
State Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jayaram, now controlled by Sasikala.
 Dinakaran, Sun TV etc.are led by former TeleCommunications Minister Dayanidhi Maran.
 Shobhna Bhartia, Chairperson and Editorial Director of the Hindustan Times, was a Congress
Party Parliamentary member.
 A popular national TV news channel is owned by editor Rajat Sharma, who is open about his
lobbying interests and support for the ruling political party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
 Chandan Mitra, the editor of Pioneer newspaper in Delhi, and veteran Indian journalist and
author M. J. Akbar, are members of BJP.
 Arun Shourie, former editor of the Indian Express newspaper, is a public BJP sympathizer.

Journalists are free to pursue political careers and actions, but the potential for conflicts of interest are
high, with no regulations to prevent them from using their positions in the media to promote personal
political agendas. For a truly free press, they must ensure that political aspirations do not affect their
objective news reporting in the meantime.

Newsprint Policy – RNI Registration Holders can Import Newsprint by Filing BE for Home
Consumption or Warehousing
[DGFT Notification No. 09 dated 3rd June 2016]
Effect of this Notification: Actual users holding registration certificate from RNI can import item
covered under Exim Code heading 4801 by filing bill of entry for home consumption or warehousing, at
the time of import of goods.

Subject: Amendment in import policy condition No.2 under Exim Code 4801 of Chapter 48 of ITC
(HS), 2012, Schedule – I (Import Policy).
In exercise of powers conferred by Section 3 of FT (D&R) Act, 1992, read with paragraph 1.02 and 2.01
of the Foreign Trade Policy, 2015-2020, as amended from time to time, the Central Government hereby
amends the import policy condition No.2 under Exim Code 4801 of Chapter 48 of ITC (HS), 2012,
Schedule – I (Import Policy) as under:
2. Existing Policy Condition No.2 of Chapter 48 of ITC (HS), 2012, Schedule – I (Import
Policy): Item cover under Exim Code heading 4801 shall however be permitted without an import licence
subject to Actual User condition to those who hold 'Registrations Certificate' issued by the Registrar of
Newspapers for India (RNI), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, New Delhi, on submission of
necessary documentary evidence, duly authenticated by the RNI, to the satisfaction of the Customs
authorities at the time of clearance of goods. In addition, importer shall also be required to submit an
annual audited statement reflecting the total quantity and value of the newsprint consumed and quantity of
newsprint imported by them in the preceding (Licensing) year to the Registrar of Newspapers for India,
by 30th April of each year. The format of the declaration and the annual statement and other guidelines in
this regard shall be as announced by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting from time to time.
3. Revised Policy Condition No.2 of Chapter 48 of ITC (HS), 2012, Schedule – I (Import
Policy): Item covered under Exim Code heading 4801 shall however be permitted without an import
licence subject to Actual User condition to those who hold 'Registrations Certificate' issued by the
Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, New Delhi, on
submission of necessary documentary evidence, duly authenticated by the RNI, to the satisfaction of the
Customs authorities at the time of import of goods. In addition, importer shall also be required to submit
an annual audited statement reflecting the total quantity and value of the newsprint consumed and
quantity of newsprint imported by them in the preceding (Licensing) year to the Registrar of Newspapers
for India, by 30th April of each year. The format of the declaration and the annual statement and other
guidelines in this regard shall be as announced by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting from
time to time.

Problems
The structure of the Indian Newspaper industry continues to be highly fragmented and regional dominant.
According to IRS (Indian Readership Survey) of the total print publications in the country, around 90
percent consists of Hindi and other vernacular languages. Regional dominance is not typical of only
vernacular papers; even English news dailies have managed to gain dominance only in specific pockets.
Large print media players like HT Media, Jagran Prakashan, Dainik Bhaskar, Eenadu or Deccan
Chronicle have region-specific reach. Advertising revenue continues to be the key growth driver behind
the industry as declining readership and increasing competition has led the players to further reduce their
cover prices. As result, this sector has been the most affected by the slowdown in advertising due owing
to the recent downturn. Further, due to rising newsprint costs players were compelled to undertake
multiple advertisement rate hikes during the first half of 2008, which on one hand improved per unit
realizations from advertising, but on the other hand made the media an expensive proposition for most
advertisers. The sector witnessed a lot of action in 2008, especially in the first half, with the Spurt in the
number of specialty magazines, launch of niche newspaper supplements, as well as aggressive portfolio
and geographic expansion by different companies, both in the national and regional space. Both the
newspapers and magazine players also displayed increasing tendency to aggressively compete with each
other to reach their target audience. More newspaper players have started to introduce niche supplements
to counter the onslaught of specialty magazine launches. These developments benefited both the
consumers, due to increased availability of choices and better product quality, as well as the advertisers
due to better chances of reaching the target audience. With a readership base of over 250 million, India is
the second largest print market in the world (MRUC). However, this market is still under penetrated for a
country with a population in excess of 1,200 million and highly fragmented with over 60,000 newspapers
printed in 22 languages (Registrar of Newspapers of India). As per IRS the low penetration of the print
market provides a significant growth opportunity with 359 million who can read and understand any
language but do not read any publication. With an 85 percent reach in the urban markets (SEC A and B)
and an abysmal 33 percent reach in rural markets (SEC C, D and E), we believe that a major growth
opportunity lies in the vernacular markets. The Indian Print Media industry is estimated to have grown by
7.6 percent in 2008 and reaching around INR 172.6 billion in size. The corresponding size was INR160.4
billion in 2007. The performance of the sector was affected by the economic slowdown, which has
affected advertising industry. Advertising revenues is estimated to have increased by 8 percent over the
previous year to reach INR 108.36 billion in 2008. The sector has been adversely affected by the
economic meltdown, and the advertising rate growth has been lower than TV due to higher exposure to
real estate, auto and travel, and lower FMCG contribution. Further, enhanced competition has also led to
fall in average cover prices which have countered the rise in circulation volumes for the players.
Circulation revenues have only risen by 7.4 percent over the year to reach INR 64.3 billion. The sector is
thus estimated to have grown by a CAGR of 13.8 percent over the past three years, a growth rate which is
still higher as compared to the single digits growth witnessed in other nations. The industry is projected to
grow at a CAGR of 9 percent over the next five years and reach around INR 266 billion in size by 2013.
The sector is projected to grow at a CAGR of 9 per cent and touch INR373 billion by 2018. The
opportunity may lie in capitalizing on expansion opportunity and tapping the growth potential in regional
markets while concurrently the challenge could be to explore consolidation opportunities within the
existing markets. Innovation in product, content and distribution; increasing demand for region-specific
content; and expansion by large players into new geographies and languages resulting in increased
penetration of regional print media; appropriate usage of social media and increase in below the line
activities can pave the way for growth in the next year. The print industry operates in a dynamic
environment with readers’ needs and preferences changing continuously. In such an environment, it is
imperative for publishers to innovate consistently and also engage and interact with their readers on a real
time basis. There are a plethora of opportunities that could benefit the flexible players who can adjust to
the changing environment. Going forward we may witness expansion in regional markets and
consolidation in established markets with only the fittest players survive the changing environment.

Press in future
There are a number of advantages that online newspaper have over their print counterparts. One of the
biggest is the capability to provide realtime news, thanks to digital formats., as opposed to newspapers’
static printed versions that have to follow the newsroom’s daily deadline for publishing. Also, news can
be as long as it needs to be, as opposed to the word as space limits imposed by print editions. And the
internet brings entirely new capabilities with tools like hyperlinks that connect words and stories to
related articles, photos, charts, etc.; search tools that allows retrieval of archives; interaction tools like
opinion forums, chat rooms and polls that allows tow-way communication with readers; media tools like
photographs and audio-video clips that provide the benefits delivered by magazines and broadcast media;
and more.

In fact the internet has even aided the transformation of large and small newspaper publishers into multi-
media production houses that simultaneously produce content for print, online and broadcast media.
Moreover, the cost of publishing and distributing an online newspaper in minimal compared to its print
counterpart, where as the reach is global. Hence, almost all newspaper publishers have caught up with the
trend and are providing online versions. Content can be accessed on the newspapers website or delivered
to the subscriber’s mail inbox. While currently this online content is offered for free, because of low
value-addition, some online newspapers like Hindustantimes.com are accessible to paid subscribers only.

Fortunately, Indian newspapers have realized that significance of online publishing to reach out to their
audiences. The most popular news sites in India, according to a study by Juxtconsult are Indiatimes.com,
NDTV.com and Rediff.com, none of which are websites of traditional newspaper. The popularity of these
sites arises from the combination of political, business and entertainment news on offer. Online
publishing for traditional newspaper publishing houses is made even easier with the introduction of
ePaper technology.

Newspapers go mobile: In order to appeal to the young, upwardly mobile readers, many newspapers
have made their news updates accessible on mobile phones through SMS services that keep consumers
posted on current news, sports events, entertainments, poll results. Contests, jokes, dating services, etc.
virtually round the clock. Dianik Jargran has made accessing updates on mobiles even easier with its
automatic speech recognition services that recognizes words like ‘yes’, ‘no’, and numbers, saving users
the trouble of punching keys on the phone. Newspapers also find the SMS a very potent tool for increased
interactivity with their subscribers and for collecting feedbacks.
Newspapers are also planning to go a step further in mobile publishing with availability of the mPaper
technology that aggregate news from publishing partners and converts the text and images to suit the
formats of various cell phone models. mPaper allows newspaper to offer content in its original formats
and offer features like archives, search and saving of news items, etc. mPaper is scheduled be delivered
on a monthly subscription basis over WAP-enabled handsets in India.

Exercise
1. What do you mean by freedom of press in India
2. What is the role of NRI in India
3. Describe the importance of sales promotion.
4. Discuss the role of advertisements in a newspaper.
5. What are the problems faced by the newspapers?
6. Describe the future of the newspaper?

Reference :
1. The Journalistic Interview –H.C. Sherwook
2. Reporting and Editing – Shrivasava K.M.
3. History of Indian Journalism-Natarajan.J.
4. Mass Communication in India – Keval J. Kumar
5. News and Reporting –Neal M.James & Suzanne S. Brown
6. Editing-R. Thomas Bermar
Online reference
1. The Editor’s Blog, http://theeditorsblog.net/2011/07/12/style-sheets-the-setup-and-the-benefits/
2. Integrated Publishing, Inc, http://www.tpub.com/journalist/73.htm
3. Graphic Communication / Newspaper/Page make up,
http://asbmassindia.blogspot.in/2012/08/graphic-communication-newspaperpage.html
4. Karthik, Praveen. “What Is the Role of News Editor of a Newspaper?” What Is the Role of News
Editor of a Newspaper? Web. 08 Sept. 2014. http://www.preservearticles.com/what-is-the-role-
of-news-editor-of-a-newspaper.html>
5. Peterson, Valerie. “The Book Publisher’s Editorial Department.” About. Web. 08 Sept. 2014.
http://publishing.about.com/od/BookEditingAndProduction/a/The-Book-Publishers-Editorial-
Department.html>
6. Weber, Jean H. “The Role of the Editor in the Technical Writing Team.” | Technical Editors’
Eyrie. Web. 08 Sept. 2014. http://www.jeanweber.com/newsite/?page_id=25>
7. Anurag Roy (August 31, 2013) Importance of Freedom of Press and Media,
http://www.importantindia.com/2529/importance-of-freedom-of-press-and-media/
8. Vijay Jaiswal (September 3, 2013 ), Freedom of Press In Indian Constitution – Brief Overview
http://www.importantindia.com/2011/freedom-of-press-in-indian-constitution/
9. Reporters without borders for freedom of information, https://rsf.org/en/ranking#