05/03/2013

Sources of News News Sources

! Process of News Production starts from a source.

News
Agencies Monitoring

Online
Reporter
Research

Instructor:
Dr. Saleem Abbas
Course:
MCOM 101: Introduction to Journalism

Process of News Types of News Sources

Sources for News- Sources

organization For Reporter

News Sources for Newspaper

Sources
Special
For Reporter Sources for News- Reporter Correspondent
Correspondent
organization

District
Staffer Bureau Chief
Reporter

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News Sources for Newspaper News Sources for Newspaper

Press Press International National News TV

Handouts News Agencies Agencies Monitoring
Release Notes

Radio International
ISPR PID DGPR Monitoring Mag / Papers
Internet

Reporters News Agencies

! Reporter
! Staffer
! Stinger
! Citizen Journalist
! Correspondent
! Special Correspondent
! Bureau Chief
International National News
! District Reporter News Agencies Agencies

Monitoring Press Release

! An announcement of an event, performance, or other
newsworthy item that is issued to the press for
publication.
Issued by:
! Private parties
! Semi-govt. Org.
Radio / TV International Mag /
Monitoring Papers
Internet ! Government Org.
! Individuals

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Press Note Handouts

! Press note is issued by the government (District
Magistrate) to make an important announcement or
present a government policy for the information of the
general public.
! Press note are reproduced as it is without any change.
Example:
! Curfew order, Ban on pillion riding, Prohibition of
‘kite flying’ etc.
The handouts and press release are quite similar in form
and nature and usually contain information issued by the
organizations.
Issued by:
Non governmental org.
Governmental establishments
The editor may rewrite or cut its portion, which are
ambiguous for better communication value.

ISPR PID
! Inter-Services Public Relations ! Press Information Department is a federally
administered department.
! It is an administrative military organization within the
Pakistan Defence Forces. Job:

! Coordinates military information with the media and ! It provides coverage to the federal govt. departments;
the civil society. Prime Minister, President and Federal Ministers

DGPR Reporters
! Directorate General Public Relations is a provincial ! Every Newspaper or News Channel has a team of
department. Reporters.

Job: ! They work on their specific Beats

! It provides coverage to the Provincial government

departments; Chief Minister, Governor and Provincial
Ministers

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Beats of Reporters Sources of Reporter

! Permanent Sources
Sports Crime Education Commerce ! Personal Sources

! Online Research
Political Punjab
Showbiz Health ! Primary and Secondary Sources
Parties Assembly

National
WAPDA Metropolitan
Assembly

Permanent Sources
A reporter can use following sources to make the story credible
and readable. ! Relevant Ministry:
R&D Department / Reference Section ! Secretariat:
! Check previous stories about the topic in databases ! NGOs / Associations
Online Research:

! Check in news groups, social networking sites and blogs.

! Blogs are usually opinion columns and personal reflections,

but they can be valuable for finding human sources.

! Contact the primary source—the person involved.

Human Sources
! Community and campus leaders
• PRO of the relevant dept. ! Fairness: If you are writing a story involving conflict,
! Eyewitnesses and Participants find sources who have the opposing points of view.

! You could start at the top by contacting the

department head.
! On many other stories, you should also go down the
ladder and try to contact the person closest to the
incident.
• ( e.g. officer who was at the scene / professor or
researcher who did the study.

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Check and verify the Truth Anonymous source:

• Many people will be willing to talk to you if you
promise not to use their names
! Primary and secondary sources:
• Open Source (On the Record): The source agrees that
! During an interview, if your source says any derogatory
all information can be used in a news story and that he
or controversial remarks about another person, make
can be identified as the source of it.
sure that you check with that other person.
• Hidden Source (Off the Record): The information
(The first source's statements not only could be wrong; they
from this source may not be used at all. If you can get
could also be libelous.)
the same information from another source, you may
use it, but you may not attribute it to the source who
told it to you off the record.

! Not for Attribution: You may use the information as

background, but you may not identify the source.

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