1 News Gathering and Reporting Chapter 13 © 2009, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

2 CHAPTER OUTLINE Deciding What is News News Reporting in the Digital Age Categories Of News and Reporting The News Flow The Wire Services Media Differences in News Coverage Readership and Viewership

3 DECIDING WHAT IS NEWS Timeliness Proximity Prominence Consequence Human Interest Economics

4 NEWS REPORTING IN THE DIGITAL AGE The digital revolution has changed reporting.

5 More Sources of News Internet increased number of news sources –General news sites –News aggregators –Specialized news sites

6 Blogs Represent another source of news Can have an agenda setting effect Can provide check on traditional media Provide additional outlet for reporters Make it possible for everyone to be a reporter

7 Citizen Journalism Ordinary citizens become amateur reporters Facilitated by digital and cell phone video cameras, high speed Internet access Traditional media encourage citizen journalism News organizations no longer monopolize what’s reported and how

8 Hyperlocal News Coverage of stories of interest to very small community –Single ZIP code –Interest group in defined area Most hyperlocal news appears on web sites Publishers hope will draw in people who don’t generally consume news

9 The Converged Journalist Has skills of print journalist and video journalist Backpack journalists Mobile journalists (mojos)

10 New Tools Internet allows reporters to access wide variety of information while at their desks –Must learn how to use these tools –Computer-assisted reporting

11 CATEGORIES OF NEWS AND REPORTING News can be broken down into broad categories

12 Hard News Traditional fact-oriented journalism –Who, what, where, when, why, how Print media –Inverted pyramid format –Lead Broadcast media –Square format Online media –Varied writing styles

13 Soft News Features –Wide range of topics –Human interest Inverted pyramid style More common on TV than radio

14 Investigative Reports Significant information about matters of public importance Non-routine methods Longer than typical news item Bloggers

15 THE NEWS FLOW Many gatekeepers in print and broadcast news Online reporting may have fewer gatekeepers Bloggers

16 Print Media Sources of print news –Staff reports & wire services Other contributing sources, less important Staff –City editor Beat reporters General assignment reporters –Copy desk –Managing editor & assistant managing editor –All are gatekeepers

17 Broadcast Media Sources of broadcast news –Local reporters & wire services Syndicated news services Network feeds Staff –News director –Executive producer & producers –Assignment editor –Reporters and anchors (most reporters are general assignment reporters) –Camera crews, sound editors, writers, etc –All are gatekeepers

18 Online Media News flow and production process similar to traditional media –Top executives –Editors –Staff members –Reporters

19 THE WIRE SERVICES Two biggest wire services –AP: Associated Press –UPI: United Press International Wire services provide most of the news about what’s going on outside the local community Other wire services compete with AP & UPI

20 MEDIA DIFFERENCES IN NEWS COVERAGE Print, broadcast, and online media all have strengths and weaknesses All play crucial role in informing the public

21 Words and Pictures Print & online news are organized in space; TV stories organized in time –TV covers fewer stories and in less detail TV better at transmitting experience or impressions; print & online better at facts, information, lengthy analysis Newspapers & online have more permanence; can cover complex stories better TV has strong visual dimension, but visual is also important to print & online

22 Print, Online, and Broadcast Journalists Appearance and personality of reporters are more important in TV than in print and online –TV newscasters can become stars –Print & online reporters are more anonymous

23 Similarities Among the News Media Print, broadcast, and online journalists share basic values and journalistic principles –Honesty –Accuracy –Balance –Objectivity –Maintaining credibility Credibility is key in keeping public’s trust

24 READERSHIP AND VIEWERSHIP Audiences for news have been shrinking and getting older Except for Internet, exposure to all sources of news has decreased Audience has become less likely to trust the media