Print Journalism 
 
Unit I: [Introduction to Journalism and News]
 
1. Evolution and Growth of Print Journalism in India
2. Journalism: Definition, Roles and Responsibilities of a Journalist/ Reporter
a. Journalism as a Fourth Estate
b. Citizen Journalism, Penny Press and Yellow Journalism
3. News: Meaning, Definition and Nature
a. Elements of News and News Values
b. Types of News: Hard and Soft
c. Difference between News, Features, Articles and Backgrounders
4. News Sources: Attribution and its types; Credibility and Quotations, By Line, Credit Line and Embargo

Unit II: [News Reporting and Writing]

1. News Reporting: Reporting for Various Beats

2. Types of News Reports: Objective, Investigative and Interpretative
3. Reporting for Newspapers, Magazines and News Agencies
4. Structure and Style of News Writing
a. Types of Headlines, Leads and Body
b. Guidelines for Headline Writing

Unit III: [Structure of a News Room]

1. Set up and functions of a City Reporting Room in a Daily and a Bureau
2. Functions and Responsibilities of a News Editor, Sub-Editor and Chief Sub-Editor
3. Editorial Writing and its Importance
a. Letter to the Editor
b. Book Review and Film Review
4. Stylesheet: Definition, Purpose and Relevance

 
Unit IV: [Editing and Layout Design]
1. Editing: Definition, Objectives and Principles
a. Editing Symbols and Proofreading Symbols
b. Advent of Electronic Editing
2. Copy Editing for Newspapers, Magazines and Journals
3. Use of Graphics, Cartoons and Info graphics in Print
a. Photo Caption and Cutline: Definition, Relevance and Guidelines

4. Design and Layout for Newspaper, Magazine and Journal   

 
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Unit 1 

TOPIC 2: Journalism definition, roles and 

responsibilities of a Journalist 

What is Journalism? 
Journalism is derived from the french word “Journal”which in turns come from the latin 
word “diurnalis” or ‘daily’. 

Journalism is the activity of gathering, assessing, creating, and presenting news and 
information. It is also the product of these activities. 

Journalism can be distinguished from other activities and products by certain 

identifiable characteristics and practices. These elements not only separate journalism 
from other forms of communication, they are what make it indispensable to democratic 
societies. History reveals that the more democratic a society, the more news and 
information it tends to have. 

While journalism occupies a much smaller space than the talk, entertainment, opinion, 
assertion, advertising and propaganda that dominate the media universe, it is 
nevertheless perceived as being more valuable than most of the “stuff out there.” 

That value flows from its purpose, to provide people with verified information they can 
use to make better decisions, and its practices, the most important of which is a 
systematic process – a discipline of verification – that journalists use to find not just 
the facts, but also the “truth about the facts.”“ 

Purpose of Journalism 

The purpose of journalism,” write Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel in The Elements of 
Journalism, “is not defined by technology, nor by journalists or the techniques they 
employ.” Rather, “the principles and purpose of journalism are defined by something 
more basic: the function news plays in the lives of people.” 

 
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News is that part of communication that keeps us informed of the changing events, 
issues, and characters in the world outside. Though it may be interesting or even 
entertaining, the foremost value of news is as a utility to empower the informed. 

The purpose of journalism is thus to provide citizens with the information they need to 
make the best possible decisions about their lives, their communities, their societies, 
and their governments. 

Roles and Responsibility of a Journalist 

A journalist is a person who collects, writes, or distributes news or other current 
information. Journalists might work at newspapers, magazines, websites or for TV or 
radio stations. The most important characteristic shared by good journalists is 
‘curiosity’. Good journalists love to read and want to find out as much as they can about 
the world around them. 

“A journalist is the person who wants to give a definite direction to the public through his 
writings published at short intervals”- T.H.S Scott  

Roles of a Journalist 

Following are the roles of journalists: 

1) J​ournalists make people aware of the Contemporary World:​ Journalists make 

people aware of the latest news and events. They also inform the people about 
the current political, economic, and social trends. Thus, through their reports and 
writings, they enlighten the society and nation. 

2) Journalists educate masses: ​Journalists provide informations related to 

economy, sciences, global polity, healthcare and technology which help people in 
acquiring a new kind of knowledge in respected field. They inform, educate those 
readers and viewers who are keen to learn more about such topics and events. 
Technological advances are explained in nutshell on radio and TV. Magazines 
give data and facts about avant-garde technologies.  

3) To Make flow of art and Culture: ​Photojournalists take up such fine tasks. They 
struggle to take photographs of wildlife, people monuments, ancient buildings 
etc. Later, they get these photographs published in magazines, journals, and 

 
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newspapers, Some photojournalists also organise exhibitions of their 
photographic creations. The photographs of the nuclear holocaust in Hiroshima 
(1945), the war in Vietnam (1967), the attacks on World Trade Centre (2001), and 
many such events have become path breaking.  

4) To Entertain the Masses:​ Journalists related to cinema, music and other fields of 
entertainment work in this respect. They also give information regarding cinema, 
fashion, city life etc. Journalists also give important news through the 
audiovisual media. Aaj Tak covers all such news as are related to fine arts, 
music, sculpture, photography.  

5) To Make People Sensitive to Burning Issues:​ Journalists make people sensitive 

to the events that occur around the globe. They, by virtue of their knowledge 
about polity and society, can guide the masses through their messages and 
content. They write editorials, guest columns, routine columns and features in 
newspapers and magazines. Example: Aaj Tak and ORG surveyed the audiences 
of Gujarat and found out that Mr. Narendra Modi was still the best bet as a Chief 
Minister of that state (this survey was done in November 2002). The mood of the 
nation can be known quickly through such exercises. 

6) To make people aware of their rights: J

​ ournalists inform people what their 
governments are doing for them and make them aware of their rights. They 
inform them about new development plans and policies of their respective 
governments and educate them how to fight against exploitation and social 
discrimination. 

Responsibilities of a Journalist 

Following are some of the responsibilities of a journalists: 

1) Towards the Firm/Organisation:​ Journalists, working for private sector firms or 
public sector agencies, are responsible to their respective firms and 
organisations. They must remain loyal to their employers. They may not give 
news or information to the competitors of their firms for the sake of money 
materialistic assets, or other favors. Loyalty towards one’s organisation 

 
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determines on success in that organisation. Journalists ate no exception to this 
rule. 
2) To Gather News or Data:​ It is not possible for everyone to collect news or data 
Journalists must collect the data or news from the place/spot from where they 
are supposed to collect it. They should rely on primary data and not secondary 
data. The latter could be biased. 

Primary data must be collected personally. People must be interviewed at the 

spot of the event, accident, or mishap possible, statistics released by the 
government should be taken, but the journalist must be on his own judgement 
and inquisitive mind to collect vital data. 

3) RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS THE READER AND SOCIETY: ​ As a news reporter, 

you have duty to provide accurate, unbiased and objective information to the 
reader.  

A social responsibility entailing obligations towards public opinion and 

society as a whole.  

Journalism as a Fourth Estate 

The Fourth Estate (or fourth power) is a political force or institution whose influence is 
not consistently or officially recognized. Fourth Estate most commonly refers to the 
news media, especially print journalism or the press. The fourth estate is the public 
press, referred to as a collective and encompassing photographers, journalists, 
television broadcasters, and radio announcers, among others. Many people generally 
agree that the fourth estate has immense political and social power, thanks to the 
fact that the press can be used to shape societies while imparting news of note and 
commentary of interest. The term Edmund Burke in 1787 during the french revolution in 
the parliament session. 

In medieval society, three “estates” were formally recognized: the Legislature, 

Executive and Judiciary. Each estate had a very distinct social role and a certain level of 
power. In the middle of the 19th century, people began referring to the press as a 

 
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fourth estate, referencing the fact that most parliaments and other houses of 
government had an area set aside specifically for the use of the press, and pointing out 
that the press was a distinct group within the larger framework of the realm.   

Writing about the first estate in 1841, Thomas Carlyle pointed out that the press 
had a powerful role in parliamentary procedure, shaping the will of the people and 
influencing the outcome of votes among the government, as well. Carlyle also argued 
that the press was an important part of a democratic society, saying that writing 
gives people “a tongue which others will listen to.”  

Citizen Journalism 
The concept of citizen journalism is basically journalism in the hands of citizens 
other than professional journalists. It is based upon public citizens "playing an 
active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing, and disseminating news 
and information. Factors that led to the emerging of citizen journalism are Internet, 
Social media, Mobile phone.  

SOCIAL MEDIA AND CITIZEN JOURNALISM: S ​ ocial media has empowered the ordinary 
citizens to take on the role of news reporters. Users are able to express their views and 
opinions. The use of the social media encourages discussions and brings like 
minded people together. Social media has given the masses a voice and the means to 
produce their own content. It basically challenges the News, offering an alternative 
perspective.  

TYPES OF CITIZEN JOURNALISM: SHARING OF PHOTOGRAPHS, VIDEOS & AUDIO: It 

involves Posting on blogs, Facebook and other social media sites.   

SHARING OF OPINION: Commenting on things you find online makes you become a 
Citizen Journalist by sharing your opinions and others.  

SHARING OF EXPERTISE: Creating a blog or doing a report on a topic you are 

knowledgeable on, even though you are not a journalist. 

SHARING OF DISCOVERY: Sharing information with the world after discovering news. 
DANGERS OF CITIZEN JOURNALISM: RISK OF BEING EXPOSED TO DANGER: Citizen 
journalists usually do not have the training to understand either the dangers of 

 
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recording disasters or dangerous events, and may take unreasonable risks in their 
attempt to record the event.   

EXAMPLES OF CITIZEN JOURNALISM: Kennedy Assassination, 1963, WTC, 2011, 

Columbia shuttle Disaster, 2003. 

Penny Press 
1. The Penny Press was most famous for its low price, a penny per paper. 
2. The Penny Press is generally considered to have started in 1833, when 
Benjamin Day founded The Sun, a New York City newspaper.  
3. It became popular with the American public because while other papers 
were priced around six cents, they were able to sell their paper for just a penny.   
4. The low price made newspapers and the news available to more than just 
upper class citizens for the first time. The labor and lower classes were able to 
purchase a paper and read the news.   
5. As more people began buying papers throughout the country, news and 
journalism became more important overall. Newspapers also began paying 
more attention to the public it served.   
6. They were quick to realize that the same information and news that 
interested the six cent public, did not interest the penny public.   
7. Newspapers used information from police stations, criminal courts and divorce 
courts to fill their paper and make it more appealing to their new public.   
8. The exceptionally low price popularized the newspaper in America, and 
extended the influence of the newspaper media to the poorer classes.   

Yellow Journalism 
DEFINE: The degradation type of journalism is known as yellow journalism. It is a 
journalism without a soul. In it facts are distorted. There is very little truth in the 
stories. Unethical means are adopted to increase the circulation. It makes the high 
drama of life, a cheap melodrama. Instead of giving its readers effective readership, it 
offers sex and violence.   

 
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Yellow Journalism is frequently termed as tabloid Journalism.Yellow Journalists are 

believed to indulge in chequebook Journalism which implies that the subjects of the 
news stories are bribed to sell their ‘true confessions.  

Such journalists are also believed to indulge in keyhole journalism or sting journalism in 
their attempts to probe the private sexual infidelities of well known people and public 
officials. 

These journalistic practices raise several ethical questions about the invasion of privacy 
of individuals and the public's right to information. 

In most democracies, reasonable restrictions are imposed on these intrusions of 

privacy especially if they are not in any way related to ‘public interest’. 

INVENTOR: Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph hearst were the men responsible 
for the birth of yellow Journalism.   

NOTE: FAMOUS CARTOON: The Yellow Kid was drawn by Richard Outcault for Joseph 
Pulitzer’s World. It was a little boy dressed in a yellow nightshirt that would 
comment on happenings in the city. People would buy The World just to read the 
Yellow Kid.  

Hearst hired the Yellow Kid’s cartoonist away from Pulitzer. Pulitzer hired another 
cartoonist to keep drawing the Yellow Kid for him, giving New York two Yellow Kid 
cartoons at the same time! The term “yellow journalism” comes from the competition 
of the Yellow Kid cartoon.  

In India too, Communalism, hidden political agenda and adulteration of the news are the 
main characteristics of today's sensationalized approach. The competition for 
sensational news led the newspapers to the violation of law of the land and even 
journalistic ethics. Only through professionalism, dedication to duty and truth, and 
ultimately love for the people and the country can improve things.  

 
 

 
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TOPIC 1: EVOLUTION AND GROWTH OF PRINT 

JOURNALISM IN INDIA 

Journalism In Medieval Period 

● Chaupals 
● Panghats 
● Moving on the horses and elephants 
● Mughal emperors developed the technique of news letter 
● The Mauryans were the first to start circulating newsletters in India  
● Renaissance and age of discovery 

Journalism in British India 

● Newspaper industry in any country is related to the beginning of printing press 
and it was Johann Gutenberg who invented printing press in 1456. 

● Thus in India too, the beginning of newspaper is related to the beginning of the 
press. The Portuguese introduced the printing press in Goa, in 1557.   

● British East India Company brought about the printing press in India and first 
press was strolled at Bombay in 1674. Ironically, the first printing press was 
strolled in 1674, yet there was no newspaper being published for another 100 
years.   

● William Bolts who was an officer in the company announced a handwritten 

newspaper in 1776. He wrote the newspaper and asked the people to come to 
his residence to read it. The aim of this newspaper was to inform British 
Company in India to the news from home and also to bring about the 
grievances against colonial administration. 

● The first successful attempt at starting a newspaper in India was made in 
Calcutta. James Augustus Hickey started the Hickey’s ‘Bengal Gazette’ or 
‘the Calcutta General Advertiser’ in 29 th of January 1780. The Gazette, a 
two-sheet newspaper, specialized in writing on the private lives of the higher 

 
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officers of the East India Company. Hickey is regarded as the father of the Indian 
press 

● The content was mainly for criticizing the East India Company. But to make it 
more catchy and readable, Hickey added other things four page Gazette, like a 
Gossip column, a poet’s corner, news related the European scandals and most 
importantly the advertisement 

● There were two rival groups :one group supporting Warren Hastings, and another 
group led by Philip Francis who himself an aspirant of the post of the Governor 
General.  

● The newspaper was entirely against Warren Hastings and his friend Elijah Impey, 
the chief justice of the Supreme Court. 

● The newspaper survived only for two years.  

● After Bengal Gazette: Rival paper(Messink and Reed) established India Gazette in 
the year 1780 as a voice against Bengal Gazette. It was a new paper of quality 
and standard in comparison to Hickey’s newspaper, India Gazette enjoyed the 
patronage of Warren Hastings in the form of all facilities from him. 
Approximately 200 newspapers/ journals came into existence between 1780 and 
1857 but most of them were closed within short duration of time.  

● The first Hindi newspaper ‘Oodhund Martand’, a weekly was published in Kolkata 
on May 30, 1826 'in the interest of Hindustanis'.   

● James Silk Buckingham:​ Father of indian journalism. He came to India in 1818 

as the editor of the “ Calcutta Chronicle” 

● Biweekly paper consisiting of 8 pages 

● Contain political, commercial and literary news and views. 

● This set a new standard in calcutta journalism as correspondence columns were 

open to all who had grievance. 

● Buckingham paper was interested in discussing the acts and policies of bengal 
govermnet, postal service ,the police , the military establishment and government 
attitude to various matters of public interest. 

 
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TOPIC 3: News, Meaning and Definition 

News is a report of a current event. ​News is timely report of facts or opinions that 
hold interest or importance or both for considerable number of people.  

News is what journalists thinks is important or interesting for their audiences. Every day 
we are bombarded with too much of information about the happenings in the world 
around us that if we sit to comprehend each of the events will end up jumbling the 
events and fail to comprehend that piece of news which is important for us. So 
journalist is a man who comes to our rescue and structures we receive sorted 
out and neatly packaged stories on the same day on radio, TV, online or the next 
day in newspaper. 

Difference between News and Information  

In the railway station, you might have noticed the board displaying the train timings. 
That is not news. That is information. But information becomes news when news value 
is added to it. For example, if a new train time table is issued by the railways replacing 
the existing one with changes in train timings, that becomes news.  

A. Elements of News 
The qualifications, or elements of news have been interpreted vividly by writers. The 
intrinsic features are: 

1. Conflict (tension, surprise) 

Most conflicts are newsworthy to some degree. Physical conflict is considered 

newsworthy because it may lead to injury and damage. Violence arouses emotions, not 
only in the participants, but also in the spectators, and can be of enormous and 
immediate importance.  

Wars, Murders and Violent Strikes are conflict of a more disruptive nature, and always 
receive space on the front page, which leads critics to complain that newspapers 
devote too much space to violence.  

2. Progress (triumph, achievement) 

 
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In conflict, one side usually wins and the other loses. For the routine struggles of life, 
not generally newsworthy in themselves, shining successes frequently emerge. For 
example, from quiet laboratories come new inventions, new advances in science and 
medicine and new devices to improve the quality of life that genuinely represent 
progress. 

3. Disaster (defeat, destruction) 

Sometimes Progress can lead to disaster such as the case with DDT, hailed as a 
breakthrough in the control of crop destroying insects. But after 20 years, it became the 
subject of major news stories when it was linked to cancer in humans.  

Disasters both natural and manmade, often dominate the news in a community. Take 
for instance, the Bhopal gas tragedy in 1984, the Kanishka plane crash caused by 
extremists in Punjab. 

Tornados, floods and earthquakes strike suddenly, take for example the earthquake in 
Kathmandu, Nepal. Lives are lost and property worth crores of rupees is damaged. 
Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people are displaced. The recovery from such a 
disaster often becomes a story of progress.  

4. Consequence (effect on individuals or community) 

Any event that causes or is capable of causing a sequence of activities that affect many 
people is newsworthy. Obviously, certain events are of more consequence than others, 
and they will receive more space and larger headlines. 

It should be noted that all newsworthy events, for whatever other reasons they are 
newsworthy, have some consequence. Conflicts have consequence. For example, one 
consequence of the civil war in Syria is the problem of caring for the thousands of 
Syrian refugees to avoid further repression by ISIS. 

5. Prominence (the well known or famous) 

Names make news and big names make bigger news. The “name” must do something 
or have something done to her or him to be newsworthy. For example, A prominent 
person may do no more than stop over in the city en route to a national conference to 
rate a story in the local paper. 

 
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What a prominent person says or does often makes news because of its consequences. 
A nationally known economist’s predictions could influence the stock market. A national 
political leader might enhance a local political candidate’s chances for election by 
joining the local campaign for a dinner or speech. 

6. Novelty (the unusual, even the bizarre) 

Readers and editors alike are attracted by novelties in the news. They are a staple in all 
newspapers: the two headed calf, 50 kg pumpkin. The cat that walks 200 kilometres to 
find its owner who moved to another city. 

Novel ways of making a living, unusual habits and hobbies, superstitions-anything 

different-all have strong reader appeal. 

The common element is simply that the event or the individual is unusual.  

7. Human Interest (unusual or emotional) 

Many stories that appear in newspapers at first glance do not seem to be news because 
they do not meet the tests of conflict, consequence, progress or disaster. These stories 
may be about a famous author’s battle with depression or a 105 year old man marrying 
a 90-year old woman six decades after he had proposed to her. 

Some events and individuals lend themselves more readily than others to human 
interest treatment. They may lack basic values that would make them a news story, yet 
they have special qualities that have reader appeal. 

B. News Value 
1. TIMELINESS 

Timeliness is the most common news value. It is inherent in most news stories. An 
event simply is not news unless it has occurred fairly recently. An incident that 
happened one month back will not make news for today’s newspaper. Also timeliness 
varies from publication to publication. For a newspaper, events that had happened 
on the previous day is news. But for a weekly, events of the previous one week can 
make news. For a 24-hour television news channel, every second is a deadline. They can 
break the news anytime. So their timeliness is different from that of a newspaper.  

 
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2. PROXIMITY 

“Nearest and dearest.” So runs a old German proverb. There is some truth in it, so far as 
news is concerned. We are interested in a fire next door, murder down the street, a 
wedding at a local church, or an accident in the town than similar events a thousand 
kilometers away. 

Even in one city- New Delhi, for example, the emphasis on local news will vary. The 
potential readers may be the same, but the actual readers are different, hence, have a 
different pattern of interest so far as the nearness of news is concerned. 

Proximity is of two types physical and emotional. “Bird flu spreading and hundreds 
of chicken dying in England”. Does it make news for you? But bird flu spreading in West 
Bengal will make you alert. This is because it is in your proximity i.e. physical proximity. 
A plane crash in Peru will not be big news in India, but if an aircraft crashes with Indians, 
it will be headlines everywhere i.e. emotional proximity. So proximity decides the news.   

3. PROMINENCE 

The prominence of men and women also determines the magnitude of the story. The 
PM or minister playing cricket, and you can read about it all over the newspaper. You 
play cricket, nobody takes notice unless you achieve something big. 

4. IMPACT:  

Impact of an event decides its newsworthiness. When the tsunami waves struck several 
parts of the world, thousands of people were affected. It became major news for the 
whole world. But if a cyclone kills 20 people in Bangladesh, it may not have any impact 
on other parts of the world. When dengue fever affects 100 people in Delhi, it makes 
news not only in Delhi but in other states also because the impact is more wide and 
people become more alert about the news 

5. USEFULNESS 

Sometimes news items help the public in various ways. You must have noticed that 
weather forecasters warn fishermen not to go to the sea for fishing on certain days 
because of rough weather. A newspaper gives the phone numbers of police stations, 
hospitals, ambulance services etc. to help people. You might have seen in newspapers, 
requests from relatives to donors of blood for a patient in a critical condition. 

 
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Newspapers also raise funds from the public to help victims of disasters and natural 
calamities, like tsunami and earthquake.  

C. HARD NEWS VS SOFT NEWS 

The most pertinent classification of news is hard news and soft news.  

Hard News 

➔ Hard news is the serious news like fires, accidents, murders, disasters, deaths, the 
results of elections, the results of battles, the outcome of wars or the famine.  

➔ Hard new generally refers to the news which has to be disseminated immediately. 
It cannot be concealed or suppressed. It has element of urgency in it. The lead / intro/ 
first paragraph contain the answers to all or few 5 Ws and 1H. Leads for Hard news are 
straight and based on hard core facts.  

➔ Every newspaper is supposed to cover all important happenings of the day. Thus, the 
news which no newspaper can afford to miss is treated as hard news. 

➔ Hard news has a date value. No newspaper can afford to miss it or hold it. 

➔ Example: Report of an accident, natural calamity, disaster, govt. Formation, session of 
Parliament. 

Soft News 

➔ Soft news is the light stuff: features, human interest stories, news of engagements and 
weddings, sports, leisure activities and entertainment. 

➔ Soft news is background information or human-interest stories. The lead/ intro/ first 
paragraph begin on an emotional angle. E.g. arts, entertainment, lifestyle.   

➔ The less important happenings of the day may be published or left out by a newspaper 
depending upon the space available on different pages. The news of such happenings 
is known as soft news. Besides, every newspapers publishes some exclusive news. This 
kind of news also falls under the category of soft news. 

 
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➔ Soft news is not event-centred, though it can sometimes appear in a newspaper along 
with a hard story. 

➔ Soft news is more of an analysis, reasons, background and interpretation. 

D. NEWS, FEATURES, ARTICLES AND 

BACKGROUNDERS 
 

ARTICLE 

1. An article is an elaborate piece of composition written on some broad subject, well – 

documented, and expresses the opinion of the writer who has studied the subject in all 
its aspect. 
2. Unlike features, the subject of article is not very narrow, specific or minute. The article is 
generally written in sober style, and the subject-matter is treated in a scholarly manner.  
3. Is a piece of writing usually intended for publication in a newspaper, magazine or journal  
4. is written for a wide audience, so it is essential to attract and retain the reader's’ 
attention  
5. may include amusing stories, reported speech and descriptions  
6. can be formal or informal, depending on the target audience 
7. should give opinions and thoughts, as well as facts is in a less formal style than a 
report  
8. Describe an experience, event, person or place, present an opinion or balanced 
argument, compare and contrast, provide information, offer suggestions, offer advice 
9. It should contain an eye-catching title which attracts the reader's’ attention and 
suggests the theme of the article 
10. an introduction which clearly defines the topic to be covered and keeps the reader’s 
attention.  
11. the main body of two to five paragraphs in which the topic is further developed in detail.  

FEATURE 

1. Both article and feature are non news forms of writing. News is an objective and factual 
account of events where the reporter sticks to facts and tries to answer, as far as 
possible, the six basic questions which make a news story. 

 
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2. The feature, on the other hand goes much beyond the scope of the news story.  
3. A feature examines and dissects news and throws new light on different aspects. It 
tries to explore the background, probes in depth an idea or the events. 
4. Feature is not just a narration of facts. The purpose is both inform and entertain, and 
arouse curiosity, sympathy, humor and other feelings among the readers.   
5. A feature writer reacts to the people, situations, events and places, and provides a 
colorful background and explanatory matter to his feature story. His scope is much 
wider than news writing. 
6. Eg. A plane crash. A news item would generally give when , where, how, and why of the 
crash and other facts and details.  
7. A feature writer would probe deeper into some aspects which are not taken care of in 
the news. Some heart touching stories. The reactions of the survivors and relatives to 
the accident, background of similar accidents, the technical inspection of the plane 
before it took off. A comparative statistical study of accidents with other airlines, loss 
articles and behaviour of community, etc. are interesting themes of a feature. 

NEWS 

1. News story deals with recent and current events. News story is a perishable commodity. 
2. News story has to meet certain deadlines this is not required in feature. Feature need 
not be only on recent subjects. 
3. Brevity is the soul of news writing. News story has not much scope for subsidiary or 
background material. 
4. News is an objective and factual account of events where the reporter sticks to facts 
and tries to answer, as far as possible, the six basic questions which make a news 
story. 
5. There is more freedom in feature writing. News story’s basic purpose is to give a 
glimpse of an event, a factual account of the happening. The style followed in a news 
writing is generally an inverted pyramid or summary format. It is concise, terse and 
matter of fact.  
6. On the other hand feature follow a different style. The feature writer has more freedom. 
He can freely react to the situations, events and people with emotion and imagination. 
The feature can be written in a colourful and fiction style depending on the subject and 
circumstances. 

BACKGROUNDER 

 
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News backgrounder are important feature of news paper in that they offer more 
background and detail on people or events in the news. While a newspaper might carry 
a hard news & story about a particular event on its front page, a backgrounder of about 
700 words on an inside page offers further insight and explanation. 

A backgrounder should contain added information and consider repercussions how the 
situation or event has affected or will affect people what are the causes and effects? A 
backgrounder might also consider other linked or similar events 

TOPIC 4: NEWS SOURCES 

 

 
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Unit 2 

TOPIC 1: NEWS REPORTING AND WRITING  

News Reporting 
It means the collection or gathering of facts about current events or background 
material required for a news story or feature.  

Reporters gather their information from various techniques like press releases, 
witnessing an event live, press conferences, interviews and public record. This 
information gathering process is called reporting. Reporting is done on a daily basis. 
Most reporters working for major news media outlets are assigned an area to focus 
on called a beat or patch. They are encouraged to cultivate sources to improve their 
information gathering.  

Reporters are given directions by editors to cover a particular event, known as 
assignments. Reporters write the news stories, which are called copies.  

​SOURCES OF REPORTER FOR NEWS​:   

INTERVIEWS:​ Interviewing people connected with an event or incident is a very 
common practice used by reporters to get details.   

POLICE SOURCES: ​ The police are in charge of law and order. Reporters get details 
about crime, accidents etc. from police sources. 

REPORTS AND STATEMENTS: ​ These are another major sources of news items. 
Various commissions and committees submit their reports to the Government which 
are a goldmine as far as news reporters are concerned.   

PRESS CONFERENCES:​ Leaders of political parties hold press conferences regularly. 

Ministers also hold press conferences to announce various programmes and policies of 
the government.   

COVERING EVENTS: ​ The coverage depends upon the importance and magnitude of the 
event. A small panchayat level meeting will be covered locally, whereas a state level 
function will get wider coverage. If it is a national event, it will rec 

 
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Types Of Beat Reporting 

POLITICAL REPORTING:  

A political reporter should have intelligence, instinctive perception of ground realities, 

good judgment of people and a strong historic sense. A skilled political reporter is 
able to expose the naked ambitions of political leaders and the hypocrisy of political 
parties. Party conferences, campaigns and rallies and press conferences are the 
normal reporting events in Political Reporting. 

One of the basic duties of political reporting is to warn the nation against criminals in 
political garment. The political reporter must have a sound knowledge of history.. 
Connections and inside sources are the strengths of a politics reporter.  

CRIME REPORTING:   

Crime is a part of life and it is newspaper’s duty to inform the readers of what crimes 
are going on in their city, state or country. Crime reporting is usually assigned to one 
of the junior reporters in a newspaper, it is a highly responsible and specialized job. 
The reporter should also have good contacts in the police and other departments of 
the administration as well as working knowledge of the penal codes and law on libel 
and other relevant matters. 

He should be as objective and avoid resorting to sensationalism or cheap gimmicks 

to catch the attention of the readers or the viewers. He should not suppress news of 
public interest. Nor should he seek to settle personal scores with police officers or 
lawyers or judges. He must be careful that in the course of his work, he does not 
unnecessarily invade a citizen’s privacy.   

SPORTS REPORTING:   

Sports writing and reporting demands, in the first place, an exceptional interest in the 
field of sports and a good writing style. Sports reporters are conversant with the 
rules of the game and have good relations with players and coaches alike. Sports 
reporters write to appeal to a class of readers who eat, drink and sleep sports. 
Sports writing is as competitive as the game itself. Reporter’s depth of knowledge is 
important while commenting on star performers. Everything that you write must be 
in good taste.  

 
 22 
 

HEALTH REPORTING: 

Health reporter usually informs the public about major epidemics, diseases and their 
cures, new medical discoveries, medical irregularities, etc. The health reporter in no 
way should frighten the common man but present remedies and cures for the 
diseases. Health Reporters usually deliver medical news as if they are reporting on a 
hostage crisis. Information is delivered rapidly, but little time is taken to provide a 
context for the story. To avoid inaccurate stories, health reporters need to examine 
the credibility and biases of scientific sources. The major sources for a health 
reporter are the doctors or medical officers. The health reporter should deal with 
failures to be accurate, to identify vested interests, to follow up on stories, and to 
cover important health issues as the patients are the ones who stand to suffer the 
most.   

CIVIC REPORTING:   

Reporters around the country are increasingly turning to civic journalism to find better 
stories and report them in ways that re-establish a bond with readers, viewers and 
listeners. The civic reporter needs to be active men who have the opportunity of 
making a wide circle of friends. The Civic reporters should be responsibility as an 
important link in the chain of news collection of interest to the newspaper. A civic 
reporter has his/ her link with police officers and corporation administrators who 
inform him of anything important taking place around.  

TOPIC 2: Types of News Reports 

OBJECTIVITY IN REPORTING:​ Journalism needs to be more objective, accurate and 
investigative in the way it presents information and relays facts to the public. This 
objectivity in journalism helps the audience to make up their own mind about a story 
and decide what they want to believe. The journalist must report only the facts and not 
a personal attitude toward the facts.   

 
 23 
 

INTERPRETATIVE REPORTING:​ Interpretative reporting puts news in perspective to 

bring out its significance. It is a demanding discipline calling for thorough knowledge of 
the subject and proficiency in reporting. The Interpretative reporter gives the reader the 
background of an event and explains the possible consequences. 

Besides his own knowledge and research, he/she often relies on the opinion authorities 
on the subject. For an intelligent newspaper reader, there are few surprises, because 
the interpretative reports keeps him informed of the consequence of events. The 
Interpretative reporter must be well read-his reading of history, economics, sociology, 
political science and other academic subjects equips him to be an intelligent 
interpretative reporter, aware that a news item is not an isolated incident, but a 
inevitable link to a chain of events. Remember that prejudices of and kind and 
stereotype attitudes hamper intelligent perception and professional credibility.  

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING:​ Investigative reporting is exposing and reporting 

corruption. It calls for exceptional courage, a sense of justice and a commitment to the 
higher values of life. All news stories require some kind of investigation by the reporter; 
but investigative journalists dig hard and deep into the realm of the powers that be, 
which in itself is a dangerous enterprise. 

They dig weeks and months to get one story, but that one story gets national attention 
because it tells how the government bungles, how ministers squander funds, conspire 
and deny promotions to the meritorious, and, above all, suppress facts. The best kind 
of Investigative reporting is that which keeps the public interest in mind. It may 
highlight an injustice, expose corrupt practices or unmask dishonest politicians and 
Bureaucrats. Investigative journalism is finding, reporting and presenting news which 
other people try to hide. It is very similar to standard news reporting, except that the 
people at the centre of the story will usually not help you and may even try to stop you 
doing your job. 

The job of journalists is to let people know what is going on in the community, the 
society and the world around them. Journalists do this by finding facts and telling them 
to their readers or listeners. In many other cases, governments, companies, 
organizations and individuals try to hide decisions or events which affect other people. 
When a journalist tries to report on matters which somebody wants to keep secret, this 
is investigative journalism.  

 
 24 
 

TOPIC 4: STRUCTURE AND STYLE OF NEWS WRITING  

 
STRUCTURE OF NEWS WRITING: 
 
CHRONOLOGICAL FORMAT OF NEWS STORY WRITING:
★ This patterns works very well when a writer is trying to convey critical points of a 
story. 
★ Chronological format is widely used for narrating or writing stories, real or 
fictitious. 
★ The entire sequence of events is presented in order of their occurrence. 
★ This format works better feature articles that provide the time and space for the 
character and story development. 
★ The story has the beginning, middle and end. 
 
FOR EXAMPLE : Books. 

INVERTED PYRAMID FORMAT OF NEWS STORY WRITING:

 
★ Therefore the facts are not presented in order of occurrence but according to the 
relative importance of each fact. 
★ In the inverted pyramid style the main news is placed at the top and the rest of
the detail following in decreasing order of importance. 
★ The order is not chronological but of importance. 
★ Into: is the first paragraph of a news story and contains the most newsworthy 
part of the story - the newest, most unusual, most interesting and most 
significant - told clearly and simply.   
★ Second paragraph contains full explanation and all the details. The most 
newsworthy parts of the story will be written nearest to the top of the story.  
★ The later part of the story - the tapering point of the inverted pyramid - contains 
detail which is helpful, but not essential.  

DISADVANTAGES OF INVERTED PYRAMID NEWS:

★ It does not encourage good writing. 
★ Many times stories do not have an ending crafted by the writer, There is no 
suspense. 
★ Reporters tend to lose interest, time and energy. 
★ Writing in the second half of the story is casual at best, and poor at worst. 

 
 25 
 
★ Some experts feel that there is hardly any scope for creativity. 
★ It is also important to note that inverted pyramid format of news writing does not 
allow any conclusion or summary. 
NOTE: This format was developed during civil war.

THE HOURGLASS FORMAT OF NEWS STORY WRITING:

This style is the least used style in Journalism.It is generally reserved for use in features or in
magazine articles.
This style has three parts.

★ The first part is an inverted pyramid top, summarizing the most newsworthy information in
descending order.
★ The second step is the turn, which transitions between the two sections.
★ Finally, the third step is a chronological conclusion and this is the narrative story telling piece.
The hourglass style is an effective way of writing, but it is not appropriate for all articles
 

A. Headlines 
A headline is a ‘window’ to the news story. A heading must fit, must tell the story, must 
confirm to newspaper’s standard, must not just be a label, must be safe and must not 
commit the paper to an opinion. The headline of the news items are much more than 
just a set of words. It is the responsibility of the page-designer to make each headline 
as distinctive as possible within the given newspaper format. Headline by its nature has 
to be short and crisp, but that does not mean that headline should provide incomplete 
information. Writing an appropriate headline is a highly creative art and needs high 
levels of concentration, wisdom and awareness of the current events.  

Types of Headlines 
1. BANNER HEADLINE:​ A newspaper headline written in large letters across the width 
of the page. When the heading is given below the nameplate of the newspaper and 
covers all columns from left to right, it is called banner headline.   

FOR EXAMPLE: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.   

 
 26 
 

2. LABEL HEADLINES:​ When the headline just indicate the class or the type of the event 
that is described in the news it is called Label Headline.   

FOR EXAMPLE: In Parliament Today, City Notes, Supreme Court Today etc. 

Label headlines are generally used for regular columns and for reference news.  

3. SKYLINE HEADLINE: ​ It is used for very exceptional and exclusive events, the 
headline of the story is sometimes given over the nameplate of the newspaper. It 
means that the event is even more important than the authority of the newspaper.  

4. SKELETON HEADLINE:​ In some cases just above the main headline a minor headline 
is added in smaller case with a line under it.   

FOR EXAMPLE:   

ABCABCABCABCABCABC
ABCABCABCABCABCABCABCABC 

5. WAISTLINE HEADLINE:​ Both the top and bottom lines are wide and equal but the 
central line is narrow and small. 

FOR EXAMPLE:  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

6. RECTANGLE AND SQUARE HEADLINES :​ In such headings, all the lines are equal 
from left to right. Normally, it is of three lines but sometimes it can be of 2 to 4 lines 
too. FOR EXAMPLE:  
XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

7. HANGING HEADLINE:​ The heading with more than two or more lines which are 
justified on the right side and unjustified on the left are called hanging headline. 

 
 27 
 

FOR EXAMPLE:   
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

8. DROPLINE HEADLINE:​ This type of headline has two or three lines and arrangements 
of lines look like a staircase. . 

Example: 
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX. 

9. INVERTED PYRAMID HEADLINE:​ There are three lines in this type of headline; rarely 
there can be four but never more than four. Such headlines are given to important 
stories with many important points. Such stories are many columns wide.   

FOR EXAMPLE:  

ABCXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXABC
ABCXXXXXXXXXXXXXXABC
ABCXXXXXXXXXXABC
ABCXXXXABC

10. INVERTED STAIRWAY HEADLINE: ​ This is just opposite of the drop line headline. 

Example: 
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXX

CROSSER HEADLINE: ​ Crosser are normally one line headline which is given in the 
middle of the story. Sometimes in the story, a few important points are highlighted in 
the middle of the story.   

QUESTION HEADLINE:​ This category of headlines ask a question that the reader can 
relate to, that they can empathize with, something they would like answered. 

 
 28 
 

A. LEAD 
The beginning of a story is called the “lead” of the story.The lead or intro is the most 
important element of a news story. It is the window to a story. Because the quality or 
readability of the lead determines whether the reader would read further or skip the 
story. 
The lead should be short. It arouses and sustains interest.Lead that tells an entire story 
in itself.It should be catchy enough in order to catch the attention of the readers. 
TYPES OF LEADS:
Lead could be of several types:

1. SUMMARY/ DIGEST / STRAIGHT LEAD:  

It brings the central issue of discussions at first. If the reader only read the lead, he or 
she would have a solid grasp of the story.  
EXAMPLE - Twelve persons were killed & at least 50 injured and hospitalized when a 
bus and car smashed into each other. 
 
2. NAME LEAD: 
When the person mentioned in the news is/are important. 
EXAMPLE- Sachin announces retirement from the Test. 
 
3. QUESTION LEAD: 
Starts with a question mark. Draws a reader in with a question. 
EXAMPLE- Will BJP supports UPA on FDI? 
 
4. NARRATIVE LEAD 
This lead starts at the middle of an event. It carries the reader through the event 
and give a surprising twist at the end of the story.  
Example: He paused for a second to gaze upon it. Then slowly he reached down and 
laid his hand upon it feeling the skin. He turned aside and carefully selected the knife. 
Sweating now, he lifted it up and then, suddenly brought it down. Red, Red it was red 
everywhere.„Cut‟ shouted the director. Thus ended the first shot of Sanjeev Kumar. 
Three retakes later and it was done. And what followed is history.  
 

 
 29 
 
5. DIRECT QUOTATION LEAD: 
When the first paragraph begins with a quotation from a speech or statement made by a 
VIP. 
Example-“Question of my resignation does not arise” says Chidambaram. 
 
6. CONTRAST LEAD: 
A lead, which compares the two different situations to bring out the focus. 
EXAMPLE: What marks the easy-going attitude of the government servants is hard to 
comprehend when one looks at pending case in courts. 
 
7. NEGATIVE LEAD: 
Starts with a negative statement or news. 
EXAMPLE-No possibility exists of any survivors in the train accident that occurred 
yesterday. 
 
8. PARODY LEAD 
This lead attempts to play on proverb, quotation, song titles or phrase.  
Example: “Jo Jeeta Wahi Sikandar‟ Hindu nationalist leader NarendraModi has won a 
convincing victory to secure a fourth successive term as chief minister of Indias 
Gujarat state. 

B. GUIDELINES FOR HEADLINE WRITING   

1. A good headline should be accurate, clear, grammatically correct, strong, active, 
fresh and immediate.  
2. It should catch the reader's attention.  
3. It summarizes or tells about the article.   
4. Best headline writers are spontaneous and creative; the best headlines instantly 
come to you.  
5. Read others' headlines to get ideas, but doing so isn't necessarily going to make 
you a better headline writer.   

 
 30 
 
6. The more conversational the headline, the more the readers will like it.   
7. The most-effective headlines are those that give an old news a new twist; readers 
are familiar with the news, but something different about it will reel them in.   
8. Four-points to test each headline are accurate, clear, tone and twist. 
9. PRINCIPLES OF WRITING HEADLINES:  
10. HEADLINE IS NOT A COMPLETE SENTENCE: Headlines are like announcements, 
commands and slogans. They do not follow the rules of grammar for sentence 
making but still they convey the meaning.   
11. VERB PUTS LIFE IN THE HEADLINE: Headline without a verb is considered 
passive headline, and simple addition of a verb may make the headline active and 
more appropriate. FOR EXAMPLE: Tsunami Hits Japan. NO JARGONS AND 
TECHNICAL WORDS: Like any other media writing headline writing is not to show 
off the vocabulary richness of the author. 
12. Simple rule is to use the words whose meanings are clear to most of the 
audiences. Use of difficult words is still more harmful.  
13. TOO MANY ABBREVIATIONS SPOIL THE HEADLINES: Names and processes 
which are used many times need to be shortened. These shortened versions are 
very useful in the headlines as they save space and time and have greater 
communicative value. Only those abbreviations be used that are of common 
knowledge. Unfamiliar abbreviations are like jargon and make the headline 
un-understandable. 
14. TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE INFORMATION KILLS THE HEADLINE: Too much 
information will fail in persuading the reader to read rest of the news.  
15. PUNCTUATION MARKS SHOULD BE USED RARELY IN THE HEADLINES: Since 
headline is not a sentence punctuation marks should also be used only when 
absolutely necessary. Full stop is never used in headlines. Comma and 
semicolon may be used for separating one information from other. 

Body 
DEFINE: The functions of body copy are amplification, elaboration, explaining 
description, discussion, dialogue, arguments and counter-arguments etc. Depending 
upon the type of appeals used, the copy can be long (rational appeals) or short 
(emotional appeals).  

 
 31 
 

In certain cases, where emotional appeals along with big and eye catching visuals are 
used, no body copy is required at all.   

However, body copy supports the statement made in the headline. If a question is put in 
the headline, the body copy answers it. It always plays supplementary and 
complementary roles. 

In body information is presented in order of its importance.  

The body must be divided into small paragraphs with minimum possible punctuation 
marks other than the full stop. All 5 Ws and 1 H must be taken care of in the body of the 
news. Provide details that elaborate the theme. Tell the reader what is happening, why 
and what’s being done about the situation. 

Unit 3 

TOPIC 2: Functions and Responsibilities of a News 

Editor, Sub-Editor and Chief Sub-Editor   
 

Editor 
NEWS EDITOR: It is one of the most important person who plans a daily newspaper. 
His role in a newspaper office is supreme.  

He/ she is anintelligent person who knows how to give the newspaper a new look.   

He/ she is responsible for a steady and continuous inflow of news in the newsroom.  

FUNCTION AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF NEWS EDITOR   

1) SELECTION OF NEWS STORIES:   

An ideal news editor manages to get all the obvious stories into his paper with a good 
proportion of them as exclusives.   

 
 32 
 

His/her motivation and direction with his team members can result in the generation of 
many exclusive stories.   

The scoops and investigative stories need to be given weightage by the news editor if 
he/she want to give a distinct identity to his/her newspaper and enhance its credibility 
and reputation. The news editor uses his/her discretion and imagination in reading the 
public mind and select the stories which have real news value and can be called 
important by his/her readers. 

He is also responsible for final scrutiny of important news stories submitted by different 
correspondents, stringers and outstation correspondents.   

He/she gives special attention to the facts and figures included in the write-ups and 
where ever he/she is in doubt, he/she takes pains to check up their accuracy from the 
authentic sources.   

2) MANAGING AFFAIRS IN NEWS ROOM:   

The hurry of daily routine makes heavy demands upon the managerial skills of the news 
editor and his decisions, specially when time is short, yet there has to be accuracy.  

He must have an infinite amount of patience and keen interest in varied kind of news. 
He must have a good general educational background with a fair amount of historical, 
political and economic knowledge.   

He issues necessary instructions to the chief sub-editors and sub editors and ensures 
that his/her decisions are carried. The responsibility of enforcing the rules and 
regulations in the newsroom lies on the news editor. 

MONITORING THE REPORTING:   

Usually there is an editorial meeting every morning which is presided over by the editor 
and is attended by the news editor, chief of bureau, chief reporter, photo editor and 
sometimes chief sub editor. It begins with a post mortem of the day’s paper, discussing 
gains and losses, credits and blame.   

The editor look out for a major outbreak and to make preparations for it. Though the 
activity of the newsroom is editing, it also has to organize news collection.   

 
 33 
 

The most important and constant guideline for the newspaper is the paper’s policy. 
When in doubt in a new situation, the news editor must get it cleared or make 
arrangements to tackle it.   

The news editor has direct hold on the city or local reporting. The news editor also asks 
the reporters to follow up stories where ever he/she finds a possibilities. 

The news editor must mark the dairy and assign the reporters the coverage which 
needs to be specially done and not to be left to news agencies. The sole aim is to reach 
the readers before any other newspaper is out.   

COORDINATION WITH OTHER DEPARTMENT:   

The news editor maintains close cooperation with other departments particularly 
circulations, advertising and production. For better coordination, he/she holds regular 
meeting with circulation manager, advertising manager and production manager.   

The news editor has to make sure of the observance of deadlines in the newsroom and 
in case of any delay has to request the production people for necessary adjustments.   

Chief Sub-Editor 
The Chief Sub-Editor heads subeditorial group all news and photographs for publication 
reaches his table. He too functions as a copy taster. He decides whether or not the 
story will be used or cut down to half or elaborated from a few lines to one or more 
columns. 

FUNCTIONS 

1. The Chief sub-editor main function is to supervise and coordinate the work of 
sub-editors. 
2. He is responsible for the production of a particular edition of the newspaper. He 
has complete picture of the newspaper in his mind. 
3. He doles out copies, keeps records of stories and knows the person dealing with 
them. 
4. He is responsible for all the pages of the newspaper except supplements 

 
 34 
 
5. He plans and looks into the makeup of a paper by holding an editorial conference 
or contacting the news editor and ad-manager. He knows about all the features 
and miscellaneous items schedule for publication. 
6. The chief sub-editor is also responsible for captions of pictures used in a 
newspaper. 
7. He traces the stories background to provide a complete picture of an event or 
news. 
8. He is the supreme head of his team and takes his instructions from the news 
editor, he always refers to news editor when in doubt or difficulty. 

Sub-Editor 
Sub-editor or copy editor is a versatile man is the newspaper. He knows something of 
everything and everything of something. Its his job to be able to edit easily and 
efficiently all kind of copy comprising of technical terms, and make more newsly, and in 
common man’s language. 

FUNCTIONS 

1. His first effort is towards saving time and space as stories keep flooding in the 
newspaper office at all hours of the day. 
2. When he makes use of editing and proof reading symbols, he must insure that 
the copy is marked legibly and clearly, so that the instructions are easy to follow 
in the primary section. 
3. At times a subeditor has to rewrite a copy in order to make it more interesting 
and readable. 
4. In order to ensure that news value is retained in the story. He might have to chop 
it off or even kill it if the story has no news value. 
5. He ensures that the lead written suits the story appropriately and the rule of 5Ws 
and 1H is followed. 
6. He sees that names are accurately spelled, dates scrutinises dates and figures 
and refers back to his library resources for more information. 
7. He designs the stories in such a way that they’ve of use to hurried readers. 

 
 35 
 
8. He has to redesign the lead or sometimes the entire story, when the story was 
coming from some views agency or the reports that drop in from public 
organisation. 
9. He verifies the facts by crosschecking and multichecking them and sees that no 
baseless fact goes into the story. 
10. The sub-editor must be well informed, he must know a large no. of subjects like 
politics, economics, history, law, commerce etc. , which are discussed often in 
the newspaper. 

TOPIC 3: Editorial Writing and its Importance  

 

Editorial  
Introduction 
An editorial is the soul of a newspaper. It reflects the policy and stand of the newspaper 
on the burning issues of the day. Strong and powerful editorials published in popular 
newspapers mould public opinion and act as catalysts of change. They also serve as 
watchdog of public interest by pointing out differences and irregularities in public 
policies and developmental works, besides offering suggestions and solutions to 
problems and burning issues of the society.  

It reflects the majority vote of the editorial board, the governing body of the newspaper 
made up of editors and business managers. Editorial writers build on an argument and 
try to persuade readers to think the same way they do.  

Importance of editorial 

Editorials are meant to influence public opinion, promote critical thinking, and 
sometimes cause people to take action on an issue. In essence, an editorial is an 
opinionated news story.  

Editorial writing in a newspaper is a great learning and education process. Analytical 

and incisive editorials and thought provoking articles expand our mental horizon and 
enable us to understand the complexities of the burning problems of the day.  

 
 36 
 
​Editorials have: 

1. Introduction, body and conclusion like other news stories 

2. An objective explanation of the issue, especially complex issues 

3. A timely news angle 

4. Opinions from the opposing viewpoint that refute directly the same issues the writer 
addresses 

5. The opinions of the writer delivered in a professional manner. Good editorials engage 
issues, not personalities and refrain from name-calling or other petty tactics of 
persuasion. 

6. Alternative solutions to the problem or issue being criticized. A good editorial should 
take a pro-active approach to making the situation better by using constructive criticism 
and giving solutions. 

7. A solid and concise conclusion that powerfully summarizes the writer's opinion.  

Types of Editorials: 

1. ​Explain or interpret:​ Editors often use these editorials to explain the way the 
newspaper covered a sensitive or controversial subject. School newspapers may 
explain new school rules or a particular student-body effort like a food drive. 

2. ​Criticize:​ These editorials constructively criticize actions, decisions or situations 

while providing solutions to the problem identified. Immediate purpose is to get readers 
to see the problem, not the solution. 

3. ​Persuade:​ Editorials of persuasion aim to immediately see the solution, not the 
problem. From the first paragraph, readers will be encouraged to take a specific, 
positive action. Political endorsements are good examples of editorials of persuasion. 

4. ​Praise:​ These editorials commend people and organizations for something done well. 
They are not as common as the other three. 

A. Letter To The Editor 

Introduction 

 
 37 
 

The ‘Letters to the Editor’ column is an important component of the newspaper where 
the views of the readers on burning problems of the day, their grievances and 
aspirations are reflected. This column is a part of the editorial page and acts as a 
medium of interaction with the readers. The input received from the readers is a good 
indicator of the popularity of the newspaper. Some of the letters also offer suggestions 
for improvement and constructive criticism of the published material which may help 
the editorial desk to take corrective measures keeping in view the likes and dislikes of 
the readers. 

As the name suggests, ‘Letters to the Editor’ should be addressed to the Editor of the 
newspaper or publication. Ornamental language should be avoided. Simple and lucid 
language should be used so that the idea is conveyed in clear terms.  

Writing an LTE 

According to the New York Times the letter to editor should have five-part approach: 
1-Introduction: restates the thesis of original article.  

2-Opinion: supposes/contradicts the writer’s point.  

3-Anecdote: relates relevant personal experience.  

4-Evidence: Cites an independent study, report etc.  

5-Conclusion: restates the opinion of the letter writer signed.  

TIPS: 

★ Keep your letter short and simple. As a policy, many newspapers don’t accept 
letters that exceed 200 words.   
★ Research your topic thoroughly. Support your argument with facts and evidence. 
Make sure your solutions are logical and practical.   
★ Have a catchy beginning and a strong ending.  
★ If your letter is sloppy, incoherent or contains grammatical errors, it will not be 
published.  
★ At the end of your letter, be sure to include your name, address, e-mail 
and phone number. Newspapers need this info in order to verify that you 

 
 38 
 
actually sent the letter. They will publish only your name and town. Do not 
ask to be anonymous- the letter probably won’t get published 

B. Film Review 
The film review is a popular way for critics to assess a film's overall quality and 
determine whether or not they think the film is worth recommending. Film reviews 
analyze the effectiveness of the plot, theme, acting, direction, special effects, 
musical effects, cinematography, and all other elements that created the movie. 

STEPS 

★ Should include the following: name of the film, prominent stars of the film, basic 
setting (time and place), and genre of film (comedy, adventure, drama, etc.)   
★ Write a plot summary for the movie. Do not reveal the ending. Discuss at least 5 
events and be sure to cover the entire scope of the movie, except the very end.   
★ Discuss one aspect of filmmaking. You may choose from acting, direction, 
editing, costume design, set design, photography, background music, or anything 
else you may think of. Be sure that you are specific and cite examples from the 
movie.   
★ Discuss another aspect of filmmaking. discussed in the previous paragraph. Be 
sure that you are specific and cite examples from the movie.  
★ Give your overall reaction to the film as well as your opinion on the quality of the 
film. Also include your recommendations for potential viewers.   

   
Paragraph 5

B. Book Review 
It is defined as a critical description, evaluation, or analysis of a book, especially
one published in a newspaper or magazine.

In newspapers and academic journals, they rarely exceed 1000 words, although you
may encounter lengthier assignments and extended commentaries. In either case,
reviews need to be succinct. While they vary in tone, subject, and style, they share
some common features:

 
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First,​ a review gives the reader a concise summary of the content. This includes a
relevant description of the topic as well as its overall perspective, argument, or purpose.

Second, a ​ nd more importantly, a review offers a critical assessment of the content. This
involves your reactions to the work under review: what strikes you as noteworthy,
whether or not it was effective or persuasive, and how it enhanced your understanding
of the issues at hand.

Finally,​ in addition to analyzing the work, a review often suggests whether or not the
audience would appreciate it.

TOPIC 4: Stylesheet: Definition, Purpose and Relevance 

 

Definition 
A style sheet is simply a statement and a reflection of the style standards and practices 
of a publisher of newspapers, books, or magazines. 

It is a document which contains guidelines and instructions for the reporters and sub 
editors to follow while writing and editing a news story. This document is planned 
and prepared by the editorial staff for giving a unique style to the newspaper. 

Importance  
1. Style sheet is the document that prescribes editorial instructions for editorial 
staff in a newspaper or magazine. 

2. It carries guidelines or instructions for both – sub – editors and reporters. It tells 
them the precautions which are to be taken while writing the copy or editing it. 

3. Every newspaper has its own style sheet which is prepared and developed by the 
editorial staff. This helps the newspaper in maintaining its own distinctive style. 

4. The basic purpose of style sheet is to ensure uniformity and harmony in 
the working of the editorial staff and in the overall quality of the newspaper. 

 
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5. Style sheet guides the editorial staff whenever they are stuck somewhere, 
motivates them to improve the copy and produce a presentable newspaper. 

6. Staffs in a newspaper are always strapped for time. One hardly has the time to sit 
and experiment with different fonts, sizes and colours. Thus, stylesheet comes in 
handy. 

7. Some papers tend to look chaotic because everyone on the layout desk wants to 
experiment with their page designs. While this might be fun, it detracts from the 
professionalism of the publication. 

8. Copy for newspapers come from a variety of sources– its own reporters, 
agencies, freelancers etc. Each source has its own style of writing. Everyone’s 
ultimate goal should be to create a coherent look for the overall paper.  

 
 

 
 

 
 

Unit 4 

TOPIC 1: Editing: Definition, Objectives and Principles 

 
Definition and Objectives 

Editing, in fact, is the soul of journalism and is a multifaceted activity, which

involves:
● Deciding the content to be published and deleted
● Giving the structure to the stories and making them presentable

 
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● Shaping it as per the policies and philosophies of the publication

The selection and correction of news is called its editing. Editing is the
correction of grammatical, factual and lingual errors in a copy. It is done according to
the need of the readers and the stylesheet of the organisation. Editing sets the story
on the basis of the space availability and the relevance of the content.

Editing is tailoring news items or a news story to the required shape and size using
the right kind of expressions and symbols. A news item is selected keeping in
view its interest to a large number of readers and its impact on them While editing,
the consideration must be on language, clarity of thought, traditions of
journalism, taste of the readers and also the grace of expression.

The editing process begins in a newspaper with the News Editor or a Chief Sub
editor sorting out the copy to eliminate reports that could not be accommodated and
planning the next day’s page.

Principles of Good News Editing 

The following are the principles of good news editing:

1. Accuracy:​ The sub editor should be obsessed with accuracy because

one mistake can destroy the reputation of a newspaper or magazine, and it
takes just fraction of a second to make one. Checking and cross checking
names, figures, and verifying facts are of utmost importance. Always
attribute the news to the source so that readers can judge its credibility. For
example: ‘A highly placed Defence Personnel, Finance Ministry Sources’,
etc. are attributions that help readers to arrive at their own conclusions,
while steering clear of the suspicion that the reporter is giving his own
version of the story.

2. Balance and Fairness:​ Balance and fairness form the foundation of

good editing. Balance is presenting the information in its entirety while
fairness is being unbiased. It also means not providing favourable
treatment to any particular individual, organization, institution etc.

3. Brevity:​ Brevity is telling the readers information in a direct manner

without beating around the bush. It not only saves time and space but
also makes the publication credible in the eyes of its readers.

 
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4. Clarity:​ Clarity is the ability to think clearly. Clarity comes with vision
and planning. If you know how you want a particular story to be seen by the
readers, your vision will automatically make your thoughts clear which
will be strengthened by the planning.

5. Readability:​ The standard for the average length of a sentence is 18 words

and beyond the same, the readability gets complicated. So, the best
way is to write news stories using simple words, short and simple
sentences.

A.Editing Symbols and Proofreading Symbols  

 
EDITING SYMBOLS 

● Set of standard symbols

● Allows to indicate changes without using words

Although stories written on PCs are corrected electronically, it is still useful for reporters
to learn the standard copy editing symbols. The following are examples of the
symbols that are used universally whenever written material is corrected by hand.

Many proof-reading symbols are similar to copy editing symbols. But, there is an
important difference in their use. The copy editor uses symbols within the body of
story, making changes at the point in the text at which the error occurs. The proof
–reader places all the symbols in the margin of the proofs, indicating at which
point changes are needed in the story. This is the process of correcting errors after
the story is in type. The person correcting the mistakes need only scan the
margins, not read the entire story.

PROOFREADING  
Error – free newspapers simply do not exist. Despite the concentrated effort of writers,
editors and proof readers, errors still appear in every issue of every newspaper.

The object of proof reading is to eliminate any errors made during the editing
and typesetting process. Although proof reading and copy editing are similar
in that their chief purpose is to catch errors, the responsibility of the proof –

 
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reader is to see that the proof follows the original copy – that no words,
sentences or paragraphs are jumbled or omitted – and that there are no
typographical errors. However, proof readers generally correct misspelled
words, incorrect English and other blunders that might have slipped past
reporters and copy editors.

Proof-reading involves the following:

1. Follow copy:​ after the compositor has composed the matter, a proof of the
copy is taken out, and passed on to the proof reader. The proof reader
compares the proof with the manuscript / original copy, detects the mistakes
in the proof copy and marks the corrections. This is known as ‘follow copy’.

2. Correction of Grammatical mistakes:​ the proof reader also corrects the

mistakes in spellings, grammar and punctuations etc., if these are lying in the
manuscript. He also uses some prescribed terms to indicate capital
letters, italics, paragraphs, divisions etc.

3. Correction of editing mistakes: ​ the proof reader also corrects those ​mistakes
which are left in the original copy / manuscript due to some lapses on
the part of the sub – editor. Thus, he contributes to the editing work.

4. Correction of factual mistakes:​ in addition to the above, the proof reader is

expected to correct the factual mistakes as well. This can, however, be done
only by a knowledgeable and aware proof – reader.

B. Electronic Editing 
Electronic Editing Computers dominate the newsroom of newspapers these days. 
Reporters write their stories on computer terminals and save copies there only. City 
editors and section editors use computer networking to call the story up from 
storage for review and preliminary editing. Copy editors use them for the final editing 
and headline writing. The so called front-end system will vary from newspaper to 
newspaper, depending on the particular equipment purchased. However, most 
computers are quite similar and once a reporter or copy editor has learned one system, 
using a different one requires very little adjustment. Electronic editing saves time and 
makes archiving easy. Personal computers are considered a blessing by some 

 
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copy editors. Others still are not. There is no question that a computer is more 
flexible than a typewriter. A copy editor can perform the following functions on PC:-  

1- Delete characters, words, lines and paragraphs as well as move entire blocks of copy 
within a single story. 

2- Delete the entire story.  

3- Add new text at any location in the story being displayed on the computer screen.  

4-Instruct the computerized typesetting machine how wide to set the copy and what 
font size and typeface to use for a particular story.  

5-Write the headline for the story. A wide range of electronic editing systems are 
available and they are being refined and made more sophisticated every year.   

The functions that can be performed depend entirely on how sophisticated the 
equipment is. Some, for example, have split screen capabilities that allow two 
stories to be shown at the same time should a copy editor want to compare or 
possible combine the stories.  

It is important to remember that the computer terminal is the central device for 
the system. The codes a reporter and copy editor must learn will vary from 
newspaper to newspaper, and the keyboard on the terminal may vary slightly. 
However, all systems are essentially the same.  

A number of newspapers have named “systems editors” whose responsibility is to 

know everything about the particular computer equipment used in the newsroom 
and the editorial department. The system editor serves as a trouble shooter for the 
editorial staff when glitches develop in the computer system.  

TOPIC 2: COPY EDITING FOR NEWSPAPERS, 

MAGAZINES AND JOURNALS  
 

A copy editor or sub-editor is a bridge between a reporter and the reader.   

COPY EDITING FOR NEWSPAPERS:   

 
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In a newspaper office, reporters are the ones who file stories. They may be given 
different assignments. These may be on politics, economics, parliament, the stock 
exchange, sports, courts or markets. The reporter’s job is to write the story as quickly 
as possible with all the facts and figures. In their hurry, they may not be in a position to 
polish the language.   

The first job of a subeditor is to see that the report is in good language and there are 
no mistakes. There can be spelling mistakes, mistakes in sentence construction, 
grammar and factual mistakes. If the sub editor finds a portion of the report 
ambiguous or incorrect or doubtful he has to cross check it with the reporter.  

Checklist for Newspaper Editing   

1. All the facts must be checked, re – checked and verified. They include dates, 
numbers, names, titles, place etc.   
2. Correct the grammar and language error, if any Check the stylesheet in case of 
doubt   
3. Eliminate any statement that can land you in legal trouble. Make sure the 
statement is not offensive to any individual, community, religion or 
organisation.   
4. Ensure that you have the permission to use the available information. 
5. Check the structure of the story. Make sure that the phrasing of the story is 
engaging. 

COPY SELECTION:​ The first and foremost job done in a newspaper is copy selection. 
The selection will be made only when the copy editor in charge finds the copy of 
some worth, otherwise he can throw the copy in the dustbin.  

​COPY TASTING: ​ It means weighting a copy and tasting it on its news value. 

COPY EDITING FOR MAGAZINES:   

A magazine is a periodical with a popular focus, i.e. aimed at the general public, 
and containing news, personal narratives, and opinion. A magazine can focus on 
any topic in general or the niche subjects like sports, decoration, fashion etc.  

 
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A skilled editor can make an average copy a reading pleasure by changing the 
structure, language and correcting the grammar of the same. Misspelled word or name, 
incorrect facts etc. can lessen the credibility and damage the quality of publication.  

Since copy editing is the last line of defence before going to the printers, it is important 
to correct all the possible errors at this stage. A magazine editor is responsible to 
ensure that the content of the publication is in sync with the editorial vision and 
suitable for the target audience.  

Editing a magazine article includes proofreading, correcting and rewriting. The cover 
is the most important page, as it is the first to be seen by the readers. Thus, the 
visual as well as the content appeal of the cover should hook the audience as soon as 
it is seen. Remember to proofread all the elements including - volume, issue 
number, correct spellings, correct date etc.  

Checklist for copy editors:   

1. Table of contents: C​ heck if the spacing and numbering is properly done.   

2. Articles:​ Ensure that there is no mistake in the headlines, subheads, pull quotes 
and photo captions.   
3. Slugs: ​ The slugs are the section titles that categorize each subject. For 
example - features, beauty, advice, etc. Make sure that they are mentioned 
correctly and are placed at the right spot.   
4. Footers:​ Make sure that all the page numbers that are correctly numbered in 
proper sequence. Also, check information like date and month (if there) to be 
consistent throughout. The content and writing style for magazine is different.  

Journal Editing A journal is a regularly published collection of scholarly articles that 

focus on topics specific to a particular academic discipline or profession. The 
frequency of the same can be monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or even 
annually. Journal articles are typically of substantial length and are research 
oriented. Articles are written by experts in their fields and have technical jargons. 
Journals might also include opinion articles or editorials.   

A prior knowledge is required to understand the language used in journals because they 
are focussed at the niche readers in a particular area.  

 
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Abstract, conclusion, bibliography, charts, graphs, etc. are included in a journal, but 
they rarely contain photographs. A Journal depends enormously on how skillfull 
its editor proves to be in shaping, balancing and developing the contents so that 
people not only read the journal but also subscribe to it. The editor should at all 
time exercise firm but flexible control over what goes into it and how the material is 
processed and presented to readers. Revenue of a Journal is generated through 
subscriptions.  

TOPIC 3: Use of Graphics, Cartoons and Infographics in 

Print 
 

Graphics journalism is a specialized form of journalism that uses graphics forms 

to present information. These forms often use words as well as illustration, so 
the graphics journalist must have the ability to write— especially to use words 
efficiently. Graphics journalism generally backs up and adds information to other 
reporting and writing that the publication has done. Except photographs, there are other 
kinds of picture which can also tell the news. 

1. Provides a new way of seeing and thinking  

The purpose of the information graphics is to provide a new way of 

understanding concepts, ideas and data through visual language. Because our 
brains are wired for pictures, infographics are understood differently than text alone. 
Often, a visual promotes a unique way of thinking about information because we 
are able to perceive new relationships, improve our analysis and form different 
interpretations.  

2. The information tells a story  

 
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Many effective graphics tell a story, since they are often produced by visual 
journalists. It might be an explanation of how a laser printer works or an 
explanation of how laser printer works or an explanation of a bat’s wing in flight, but 
there ‘s a story there.  

  

4. It works on multiple levels  

At first glance, it’s good if someone can immediately get the overview, like the 
most important trends or a quick comparison. This gives your audience a sense of 
what the graphic is about and where to focus. Then viewers can be to analyze the 
next level, which involves examining and interacting with the detailed information.  

5. The visual is well-designed  

Information is beautiful. An aesthetic info graphics can reflect this beauty by 
making good use of color, contrast, balance, movement, white space bad 
typography.  

6. The graphic stands on its own  

Although info graphics often accompany an article or a text explanation, isn’t it good 
when they can just stand on their own?. And since the eye and brain are compelled to 
look at a picture first, it’s important that the info graphic can be at least partially 
understood without the accompanying article, if there is one.  

Types of graphics 
1. MAPS 

One of the basic questions which journalists need to answer is where? One of the 
best ways to answering this question is by publishing a map. For a foreign news story, 
there can be a map showing the location of the country where the news is 
happening. For a national story, it can be a map showing whereabouts in the 
country the town is, where the news is happening.  

 
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The usual rule is that no lettering on a map (or other graphic artwork) as it appears 
in a newspaper should be smaller than 9 point.  

2. GRAPHS AND CHARTS 

When the story depends on comparing sets of figures, it may be easier for the readers 
to understand if they are presented in graph or chart form. Once again, it is 
important to remember that all lines should be drawn boldly, and that the chart or 
graph should not be crowded with too much unnecessary information. 

​3. DRAWINGS 

Sometimes a drawing can illustrate a story more effectively than a photograph can do. 
A news story about a dramatic rescue of a child from the side of a cliff, in bad 
weather, may be difficult to illustrate with photographs for several reasons. An artist 
can overcome all those problems. In the drawing of the cliff, the reader can be 
taken out into mid air, just out from the cliff, for the best possible view. in the 
drawing, all the stages of the rescue, over two hours, can be shown together, clearly 
numbered so that the readers can understand the order in which things happened. 
Drawings can also be useful in illustrating features. If the feature can be given to a 
good artist several days in advance, it may be possible for the artist to create a 
drawing which captures the point of the feature in a way which no photograph 
can do 

A reporter's on-site reconstruction of the incident in words may be better understood by 
the readers with visual support. Though photographs obviously can serve the purpose in 
a very effective way, nothing like translating the events into sequential graphics. An 
infographist (as an information graphic artist is popularly known) uses a combination of 
skills and materials. He reconstructs a scene in a graphic form. He needs the help of 
specially-briefed reporters. With the information provided coupled with his artistic and 
journalistic skills, a new form of communication takes shape.  

Use of Statistics 

 
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● Statics can be made easier through statistical tables. Statics can show in tables 
it charts, the elements represent quantities so it’s important the scale and 
proportions are accurate.   

● The use of quantitative graphics in newspaper requires achieving a balance 

between being accurate and getting the attention of the reader.   

● The statistical representations in newspapers are drawn by graphs 

designers whose key technique is fusion- the striking combination of two 
visual images. This technique often results in visual personifications, visual and 
other visual of speech.  

Cartoons 
The word ‘cartoon’ is derived from the Italian word ‘cartone’ meaning ‘paper’. It is any 
drawing published originally in a periodical that makes its own point, with or without a 
caption.   

In newspapers, political cartoons have always been in use. They are also known 
as Editorial Cartoons. They are single panels of graphics that are satire of political 
events. Cartoons have a non-continuing format and they make an independent 
statement or observation on political events or social Policy. 
 
The use of cartoons in Indian newspapers grew after independence. In 1950s most of 
the article carried illustrations describing the content of the article. Cartoons in 
daily newspapers also appear as critical analysis of political events and social 
issues during this epoch. Many prominent cartoonists presented their views and 
talent in dailies and this consequently gave journalism a new form expression. 
Later were integrated in magazines and newsletters also. 
 
Prominent Indian Cartoonists 
 
1. Harish Chandra Shukla 
2. Sudhir Dar:  
3. Abu Abraham:  

 
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A. Photo caption and Cutline 

Photo captions and cutlines are the most read body type in a publication. Of all the 
news content, only the titles of stories or headlines have higher readership than 
captions.  

It follows that standards of accuracy, clarity, completeness and good writing are as high 
for captions and cutlines than for other type. As with headlines, captions and cutlines 
must be crisp.  

Captions:  

Captions are the little “headlines” over the “cutlines” (the words describing the 
photograph). N​ ot all photographs carry a caption line.

It is an art by itself, and it comes with experience and aptitude. It is, generally, the job of
the news editor. The picture and its caption are complementary to each other, and is
very essential to mention when and where the picture was taken, and who the persons
seen in the picture are.

Cutlines:  

Cutlines (at newspapers and some magazines) are the words (under the caption, if 
there is one) describing the photograph or illustration. 

Cutlines should explain the picture so that readers are satisfied with their understanding of
the picture. They need not and should not tell what the picture has made obvious. It
should supply vital information that the picture cannot.

Cutlines should be as concise as possible. Unlike headlines (and caption lines), they
should contain all articles and conjunctions, just as do sentences in news stories. News
picture Cutlines should be straightforward and clear.