MODULE ONE: THE HISTORY AND PRINCIPLES OF
JOURNALISM
Table of Contents
MODULE ONE: THE HISTORY AND PRINCIPLES OF JOURNALISM ..................................................................................1
Module Overview ..........................................................................................................................................................3
Learning Objectives: .................................................................................................................................................3
Activities....................................................................................................................................................................3
Part One: Talking about the Past: The History of Journalism ...............................................................................3
Part Two: The Principles of Journalism ................................................................................................................3
Private Journal 1: Introduction to Journalism ...............................................................................................................4
Important: This is a private journal. It will not be graded or seen by your peers. ...............................................4
Lesson 1: The History of Journalism 1: The Early Days ..................................................................................................5
The Origins of Journalism..........................................................................................................................................5
Quiz 1: History of Journalism 1: The Early Days .............................................................................................................8
Lesson 2: The History of Journalism 2: 1690 – Present .................................................................................................9
The Fourth Estate......................................................................................................................................................9
The First Amendment ...............................................................................................................................................9
The Invention of the Telegraph ................................................................................................................................9
Quiz 2: History of Journalism 2: 1690 - Present...........................................................................................................12
Language Focus: Talking about the Past ......................................................................................................................13
Simple Past..............................................................................................................................................................13
Irregular Forms .......................................................................................................................................................14
The Past Progressive ....................................................................................................................................................14
Combining Past Progressive and Simple Past .........................................................................................................15
While and When .....................................................................................................................................................15
Common Irregular Verb Forms ....................................................................................................................................16
Quiz 3: Talking about the Past .....................................................................................................................................18
Private Journal 2: The Interrupted Past .......................................................................................................................19
Option 1: It was hilarious! .......................................................................................................................................19
Option 2: Our Scars Tell a Story ..............................................................................................................................19
Discussion: The Interrupted Past .................................................................................................................................20
© 2021 by FHI 360. “English for Journalism MOOC – Module One Packet” for the Online
Professional English Network (OPEN), sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding
provided by the U.S. government and administered by FHI 360. This work is licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License, except where noted. To view a copy of this
license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode
1
Principles of Journalism 1: Gathering Sources.............................................................................................................21
What is a principle? ................................................................................................................................................21
Gathering Sources ...................................................................................................................................................21
Principle 1. Verification: verify sources for truth and accuracy ..............................................................................21
Principle 2. Objectivity: Report the facts without favoring one side or the other. .................................................22
Principles of Journalism 2: Telling the Story ................................................................................................................23
Principle 3: Originality. Create original work. .........................................................................................................23
Principle 4: Completeness. Tell the whole story. ....................................................................................................23
Principle 5: Transparency. The journalistic process should be clear to the audience. ...........................................23
Principle 6: Fairness. Write accurately and without bias ........................................................................................23
Language Focus: Word Families ..................................................................................................................................25
Can you find the root in these three words? ..........................................................................................................25
Suffixes help us identify the part of speech (noun, verb, etc.) ..........................................................................26
Pronunciation: Suffixes can change syllable stress ............................................................................................26
Quiz 4: Language Focus: Word Families ......................................................................................................................28
Principles of Journalism 3: Making an Impact .............................................................................................................29
Principle 7: Restraint ...............................................................................................................................................29
Principle 8: Humanity ..............................................................................................................................................29
Principle 9: Accountability. .....................................................................................................................................30
Principle 10: Empowerment ...................................................................................................................................30
Quiz 5: Principles of Journalism Vocabulary ................................................................................................................31
Language Focus: Phrases for Agreeing and Disagreeing .............................................................................................32
1. Expressing Your Opinion .....................................................................................................................................32
2. Phrases to Agree with Someone Else's Opinion..................................................................................................33
3. Phrases for Disagreeing with an Opinion ............................................................................................................33
4. Phrases to Disagree in a Formal Situation ..........................................................................................................34
Private Journal 3: Case Study: Principles of Journalism ...............................................................................................35
Discussion: Case Study: Principles of Journalism.........................................................................................................36
Case Study: .........................................................................................................................................................36
Module One Check ......................................................................................................................................................36
2
This work is a derivative of "Bilingual Inscription " courtesy of the Getty's Open Content Program, "Metal Typesetting" by Hannes Wolf. under Unsplash license, and
untitled image by William Cho under Pixabay license. This derivative is licensed under CC BY 4.0 by FHI 360 for use in the American English E-Teacher Program,
sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
Module Overview
Welcome to Module One of English for Journalism! Learning about the history and principles of journalism will
help you become a successful news reporter.
L E A R N I N G O B JE C T I V E S :
•
•
•
•
Identify historical developments and milestones in journalism.
Identify the core principles of journalism.
Identify word forms to expand your vocabulary.
Use the simple past and past progressive to report and describe past events.
ACTIVITIES
Part One: Talking about the Past: The History of Journalism
Private Journal 1: History of Journalism (Optional)
The History of Journalism 1: The Early Days
Quiz 1: History of Journalism (Required)
The History of Journalism 2: 1690-Present
Quiz 2: History of Journalism (Required)
Language Focus: Talking about the Past
Quiz 3: Talking about the Past (Required)
Private Journal 2: The Interrupted Past (Optional)
Discussion: The Interrupted Past (Optional)
Part Two: The Principles of Journalism
Principles of Journalism 1: Gathering Sources
Principles of Journalism 2: Telling the Story
Language Focus: Word Families
Quiz 4: Language Focus: Word Families (Required)
Principles of Journalism 3: Making an Impact
Quiz 5: Principles of Journalism Vocabulary (Required)
Language Focus: Phrases for Agreeing and Disagreeing
Private Journal 3: Case Study: Principles of Journalism (Optional)
Discussion: Case Study: Principles of Journalism (Optional)
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Private Journal 1: Introduction to Journalism
Important: This is a private journal. It will not be graded or seen by your peers.
In this module, we will be learning about the history and the principles of journalism. We will study the history of
journalism first.
Before we begin, take a moment to think and write about what you already know:
What is journalism?
How did journalism begin?
In the early days, how did people share and receive important information?
How has that changed over time?
Take five minutes to write the thoughts that come to your mind. Don't worry about mistakes. Only you will see
this.
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Lesson 1: The History of Journalism 1: The Early Days
Untitled Image by 200 degrees via Pixabay is licensed under Pixabay license
[Video available online for viewing. Script below.]
THE ORIGINS OF JOURNALISM
"Bilingual Inscription" Digital image courtesy of the Getty's Open Content Program
One of the earliest forms of organized reporting of current events was the acta diurna of the Roman Empire
(around 100 BCE). These acta diurna (Latin for “daily events”) were organized by the Roman government. They
hired scribes who carved the information into stone. The government posted the stones in public places so that
people could read them.
If people were literate, or able to read and write, they could learn about births and deaths, marriages, and the
results of legal trials.
Fun Fact: The Latin word diurna is the root of the modern English word journal.
Chinese Woodblock Print, Yuan Dynasty by Petri Krohn (Links to an external sitevia Wikipedia Commons under Public Domain
Around the same time in China, a similar thing was happening. The Chinese government sent out official reports,
called dibao from the capital to local governors. The governors edited the reports. This means they decided which
information was important for local people to read. They wrote new editions, or versions, of the reports. They
carved the reports onto woodblocks and printed many copies. They posted the reports in public places for people
to read. Woodblock printing was more efficient, or quicker and easier, than carving into stone. Printing allowed
people to make multiple copies of a document for the first time.
5
Throughout history, people learned about current events through posted announcements and word of
mouth. Everything changed with the invention of movable-type printing presses, machines with small metal parts
that move so that any text could be created and then many identical copies made. The earliest known movabletype printing press was created in East Asia in the 10th Century CE.
In 1440, Johannes Gutenberg built the first movable-type printing press for a Latin alphabet. This was the first time
that the English language could be printed quickly and efficiently.
The printing press changed the way that people got their news. It was now much quicker and cheaper to print
texts and almost anybody could do it.
"Early Printing Press" was originally published in The Illustrated History of England by Henry Dulcken, 1888. This image was published by Firkin on OpenClipArt and is
licensed under Public Domain, Creative Commons Zero 1.0
As technology improved, many people became printers. Soon, they were publishing, or preparing and distributing
papers, journals, and books. As more and more written material was published, more and more people
became literate, or able to read and write; however, government still controlled what people wrote.
In Europe, the printing press led to a new type of media, single-page newsletters called corantos. These early
newspapers had information about wars and other current events as well as philosophical discussions.
Some corantos were critical of powerful organizations like the government and the Church. The
government censored them, meaning they stopped people from writing or talking about topics they didn't like.
The government only wanted people to write propaganda, information that helps the government.
In England, the government passed a law which said that anyone who wanted to print or publish had to have the
government’s permission, or license. Printers who had a government license enjoyed a monopoly as competition
was eliminated. Meanwhile, the government was able to control what information was being shared. The
government gave permission to printers who published stories they liked and refused or removed licenses for
people who published stories they didn’t like. The government was able to remove and destroy any publication
considered offensive. They could arrest people who wrote, printed and published information that they didn't like.
6
"First page of Areopagatica" by gobeirne via Wikimedia Commons under the Public Domain.
In England, in 1644, John Milton wrote and published a famous coranto called Areopagitica. This speech called for
the freedom of the press, the right to report news without being controlled by the government. Many of the ideas
that Milton wrote about are very important to the modern principles of journalism and human rights.
Milton argued that people have the right to information. Information helps us make decisions and can change our
beliefs. He said that as a society we should make our decisions through consensus, or a general agreement, that
respects a variety of opinions. He argued that we must discuss and debate (or argue). Our discussion and debates
must be based on information that has not been manipulated or influenced. We need the facts and only the facts
so that we can form our own opinions.
In short, Milton argued that a free press is essential to a free society. He said that people should be free to report
the news without government trying to stop them.
Publick Occurrences, the first newspaper in the Americas, was published in Boston in 1690. It contained only four
pages and was supposed to be published every month; however, it was censored immediately and only one
edition was ever published.
In the early history of journalism, governments wanted to control the information that people received. The
authorities censored newspapers when they did not like what was being printed. Next, we will look at the steps
that allowed the press to become free, not controlled by the government.
7
Quiz 1: History of Journalism 1: The Early Days
You must take this quiz in Canvas to complete the course and receive a digital
badge and certificate.
Instructions
Welcome to your first quiz! Answer the following questions from The History of Journalism 1: The Early Days. If
you do not know an answer, you can always review the video and lesson.
Each question is worth two points. There are five questions. You must get four out of five questions correct to pass
the quiz. You can take the quiz as many times as you like. Your highest score will be saved.
>>> This quiz must be completed in Canvas to receive the digital badge and certificate. <<<
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Lesson 2: The History of Journalism 2: 1690 – Present
Untitled Image by 200 degrees via Pixabay is licensed under Pixabay license
[Video available online for viewing. Script below.]
In the last lesson, we looked at origins of journalism and talked about the ways that journalism was censored by
governments. In this lesson we are going to look at the steps that allowed journalism to become more
independent and freer from government control. We will also talk about the different ways that people get their
news.
Watch the video or listen to the audio. Try to take notes on the dates and names you hear because this will help
you play the game that follows this lesson.
For most of the 18th century, governments still controlled what people wrote. For example, in the USA in 1722, a
young Benjamin Franklin took over as editor of a newspaper called The New-England Courant, because his older
brother was in jail. The government accused him of writing things that were not true.
THE FOURTH ESTATE
In 1787, Edmund Burke, a politician, was making a speech in the British Parliament. He argued that the press
should be allowed to report on the House of Commons of Great Britain. He spoke about the three traditional parts
of European governments commonly known as the Three Estates (the church, the nobility, and the common
people). Then he pointed to the journalists and called them the Fourth Estate. He meant that writing the truth was
an important part of governing a country. We still call journalism the Fourth Estate today.
THE FIRST AMENDMENT
A few years later, in 1791, ten amendments to the US Constitution called the Bill of Rights became a law. The first
amendment talked about freedom of religion, freedom of speech and also freedom of the press. The First
Amendment protects journalists’ rights by making sure the government cannot control the information or opinions
that journalists publish.
Even though journalism was no longer controlled by the government, most newspapers in the early 19th century
were biased, meaning they only told one side of the story or one point of view and were read by people who
agreed with their opinion.
In 1835, however, a newspaper called The New York Herald was started with the goal of providing unbiased news
that everyone could enjoy. This newspaper also tried to be politically independent, not preferring one political
party over another.
THE INVENTION OF THE TELEGRAPH
In the 1850s, newspapers moved from being just local to national. As technology improved, it became easier to
print and distribute many more newspapers.
The invention of the telegraph revolutionized journalism again. Before the telegraph, journalists relied on
government reports and mail delivery to receive their information and write their reports. The telegraph made it
possible to quickly share information across long distances, even international borders and oceans.
9
"Ada Jones Sending Morse Code in 1918" by Oaktree b via Wikimedia Commons under Public Domain
The telegraph increased the speed of message delivery but was also very expensive. A person visiting a telegraph
company paid by the word. People wanted to save money, so they kept their messages short. They wrote very
short sentences and paragraphs. This new style of writing soon became popular with newspapers.
The high costs of telegraph messages also led to the creation of the first news agencies or wire services. A news
agency gathers news reports and sells them to news organizations. The first American news agency was the
Associated Press, which was founded in New York City in 1846. News agencies allowed local newspapers to report
on national and international news. As the telegraph became more popular, printing technology was also
improving. it became easier and easier to print and distribute newspapers. Hundreds of thousands of people could
now read the same newspaper on the same day in different parts of the country.
Newspapers of the 19th Century were often biased. They only told part of the story or only one point of view.
As the number of newspapers increased, literacy also increased. More and more people were buying and reading
newspapers. Publishers wanted people to buy their newspapers.
Hoe's Six-Cylinder Press" via Wikimedia Commons under Public Domain
Newspaper publishing was a big business, and some publishers were becoming very rich and powerful. They
wanted to control information that might hurt their interests and they wanted to promote information that might
help them.
To attract readers and to protect their interests, newspapers often published sensational stories that were not
always accurate. These stories were exciting or shocking and many people wanted to read them. This led to the
rise of so-called "yellow journalism", a precursor to the modern tabloid.
The early years of the 20th century saw the development of investigative journalism. This involved a journalist
looking into and writing about powerful people and industries. For example, Upton Sinclair wrote The Jungle in
1906. Readers of The Jungle learned about the unhealthy practices in Chicago’s meatpacking factories and the bad
conditions for the workers. After people read The Jungle, people wanted to change the laws. This strong public
reaction pushed the government to create the Food and Drug Administration, the nation’s first consumer
protection agency.
10
Untitled Image via Wikimedia Common is under Public Domain.
Although newspapers continued to be popular throughout the 20th century, by the 1920s, they also had to
compete with newsreels and radio broadcasts. Listening to news on the radio allowed the whole family to sit
down and hear the news at the same time. They could also listen to things live as they were happening instead of
waiting until the next day to read about them.
In the 1950s television became popular and nearly every family in the USA had one. People could now see pictures
as well as hear people talk about the news in a live broadcast.
The internet became popular in the 1990s and online newspapers began to replace print copies. Today over half
the adults in the USA get their news from Twitter or Facebook.
11
Quiz 2: History of Journalism 2: 1690 - Present
Each question is worth two points. There are five questions. You must get four out of five questions correct to pass
the quiz.
You can take the quiz as many times as you like. Your highest score will be saved.
>>>> Please note that this quiz can only be completed in Canvas. <<<<
12
Language Focus: Talking about the Past
Untitled Image by 200 degrees via Pixabay is licensed under Pixabay license
[Video available online for viewing. Script below.]
Hello, welcome to this language focus lesson on the past tense. We have been talking about the history of
journalism which means, we have been using different forms of the past tense. You watched several
videos, completed a survey, and played a game. While you were watching the videos were you taking notes?
Take a look at those sentences. There are two forms of the past tense being used there, the simple past, and the
past progressive, sometimes called the past continuous. In this lesson, we are going to talk about the structure and
meaning of the simple past and the past progressive. We will also talk about when we should use each of these
forms. Let's start with the simple past.
S I M P L E P A ST
When an action begins and ends in the past, then we use the simple past.
"Simple Past" by FHI 360 is licensed under CC BY 4.0
Example: Before this video, you watched a video, completed a survey and played a game.
We can change most verbs into the past tense simply by adding -ed or just -d to the end of the verb.
For example: played, watched, completed.
13
I R R E G U L A R F O R MS
You may notice that there are many verbs that do not take an -ed ending. For example: The technology was not
available to print the news before the Gutenberg press. In this sentence, the verb to be is put in the past. This is an
irregular verb
Here is another example. In China, people read the messages from the government called the Dibao. Here, the
verb to read is in the past.
There are about 200 irregular verbs. It is worth memorizing these forms, because many of these verbs are quite
common. For example,
Base Form
Simple Past Form
write
wrote
think
thought
take
took
speak
spoke
A list of the most common irregular verb forms can be found at the end of this
The Past Progressive
The past progressive is formed with either was or were and the -ing form of the verb.
"Past Progressive" by FHI 360 is licensed under CC BY 4.0
For example: While I was watching the video, I was taking notes.
This means that there was a duration, a period of time, when you were watching and taking notes. Similar to the
simple past, this is an event that began and ended in the past. But with the past progressive, the audience, the
listener or reader, knows that it happened for a longer time, not just a moment.
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C O M B I N I N G P A S T P R O G R E S SI V E A N D S I M P L E P A ST
Many times, the past progressive and the simple past are used together. For example, I was researching the story
when my editor called.
"Simple Past and Past Progressive" by FHI 360 is licensed under CC BY 4.0
Here, you can tell that the speaker was researching perhaps for many minutes or hours. The editor called during
that time. We do not know exactly when the editor called, but we know what the speaker was doing at the time.
Here is another example. While many countries were looking for alternatives to gas powered cars, Tesla
introduced the electric automobile.
WHILE AND WHEN
Notice that while is often used to introduce the past progressive. For example: While I was watching the video
about the history of journalism, I was taking notes. While many countries were looking for alternatives to gas
powered cars, Tesla introduced the electric automobile.
When is often used with the simple past. For example, I was researching the story when my editor called.
Summary
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
Actions that start and end in the past use the simple past or present progressive forms.
Use the past progressive to show what was happening when something else happened.
Use the simple past if you are just talking about one event that began and ended in the past.
There are many irregular past forms in English. It is helpful to memorize these
Use the words while and when to use both forms together.
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Common Irregular Verb Forms
1
2
3
4
5
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Base Form
Past Tense
Past Participle
Be
Become
Begin
Bend
Bet
Bind
Bite
Bleed
Blow
Break
Bring
Build
Burn
Catch
Choose
Come
Cost
Cut
Deal
Dig
Do
Draw
Drink
Dream
Drive
Eat
Fall
Feed
Feel
Fight
Find
Flee
Fly
Forbid
Forget
Forgive
Freeze
Get
Give
Go
Grow
Hang
Have
Hear
Hide
Hit
Was/were
Became
Began
Bent
Bet
Bound
Bit
Bled
Blew
Broke
Brought
Built
Burnt
Caught
Chose
Came
Cost
Cut
Dealt
Dug
Did
Drew
Drank
Dreamt
Drove
Ate
Fell
Fed
Fell
Fought
Found
Fled
Flew
Forbade
Forgot
Forgave
Froze
Got
Gave
Went
Grew
Hung
Had
Heard
Hid
Hit
Been
Become
Begun
bent
Bet
Bound
Bitten
Bled
Blown
Broken
Brought
Built
Burnt
Caught
Chosen
Come
Cost
Cut
Dealt
Dug
Done
Drawn
Drunk
dreamt
Driven
Eaten
Fallen
Fed
Felt
Fought
Found
Fled
Flown
Forbidden
Forgotten
Forgiven
Frozen
Got
Given
Gone
Grown
Hung
Had
Heard
Hidden
Hit
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47
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50
51
52
53
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56
57
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59
60
61
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81
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85
86
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88
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90
91
92
93
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Hold
Hurt
Keep
Kneel
Know
Lay
Leave
Lend
Let
Lie
Light
Lose
Make
Mean
Meet
Pay
Put
Quit
Read
Ride
Rise
Run
Say
See
Seek
Sell
Send
Set
Sew
Shake
Shine
Shoot
Show
Shut
Sing
Sit
Sleep
Speak
Spend
Spill
Stand
Steal
Swear
Swim
Take
Teach
Tear
Tell
Think
Held
Hurt
Kept
Knelt
Knew
Laid
Left
Lent
Let
Lay
Lit
Lost
Made
Meant
Met
Paid
Put
Quit
Read
Rode
Rose
Run
Said
Saw
Sought
Sold
Sent
Set
Sewed
Shook
Shone
Shot
Showed
Shut
Sang
Sat
Slept
Spoke
Spent
Spilt
Stood
Stole
Swore
Swam
Took
Taught
Tore
Told
Thought
Held
Hurt
Kept
Knelt
Known
laid
Left
Lent
Let
lain
lit
Lost
Made
Meant
Met
Paid
Put
Quit
Read
Ridden
Risen
Run
Said
Seen
Sought
Sold
Sent
Set
Sewn
Shaken
Shone
Shot
Shown
Shut
Sung
Sat
Slept
Spoken
Spent
Spilt
Stood
Stolen
Sworn
Swum
Taken
Tught
Torn
Told
Thought
17
Quiz 3: Talking about the Past
Each question is worth two points. There are five questions. You must get four out of five questions correct to pass
the quiz.
You can take the quiz as many times as you like. Your highest score will be saved.
>>>> Please note that this quiz can only be completed in Canvas. <<<<
18
Private Journal 2: The Interrupted Past
Important: This is a private journal. It will not be graded or seen by your peers.
Respond to option one or two. Maximum 200 words
OPTION 1: IT WAS HILARIOUS!
"untitled image" by Callum Shaw via Unsplash under Unsplash license
When is the last time you laughed out loud? What happened? What were you doing when it happened?
Example 1: Last week, I was having coffee with my sister and she showed me a funny video on her phone.
Example 2: This morning, my husband and I were having breakfast when my dog knocked over a chair.
She looked so surprised. Pretty soon we were laughing really hard. When someone laughs, I always laugh too. I
can't stop myself.
OPTION 2: OUR SCARS TELL A STORY
“untitled Image” by Shutterbug75 from Pixabay under Pixabay license
Have you ever had an injury? Did you break a bone? Do you have a scar?
Stories about injuries are a great way to practice using the past simple and the past progressive. Almost always,
these stories involve something that happened quickly and interrupted another action in progress.
Think about a time that you hurt yourself. What were you doing? What happened?
Example 1: A few years ago, I was riding a bicycle. I wasn't looking where I was going. I rode into a ditch. I fell off
my bicycle and cut my knee. I cut my knee when I was riding my bike.
Example 2: I have a scar on my arm. When I was younger, I worked in a pizza restaurant. One time, I was pulling a
pizza out of the oven and my coworker bumped into me. My arm touched the inside of the oven. I burned my arm.
I burned my arm while I was cooking pizza.
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Discussion: The Interrupted Past
>>>> Please note that this activity can only be completed in Canvas. <<<<
Would you like to share the story with your classmates?
Step 1: Copy and paste the story you just wrote.
Step 2: Read your classmates' stories. Did they use the past simple and past progressive correctly? Do you have any
recommendations?
20
Principles of Journalism 1: Gathering Sources
Untitled Image by 200 degrees via Pixabay is licensed under Pixabay license
[Video available online for viewing. Script below.]
WHAT IS A PRINCIPLE?
A principle is a fundamental, very important truth that is the basis of something. So, the principles of journalism
are the things that journalists have to remember to do all the time
GATHERING SOURCES
In this lesson, we will discuss principles that are important for journalists to remember when they are gathering
sources or collecting information for their story.
Imagine a journalist is reporting on a car accident. The journalist needs to talk to the people who actually saw the
accident happen. We call these people eyewitnesses When the journalist is talking to these people, they are
gathering sources.
When a journalist wants to know more information for a story, they may talk to eyewitnesses, government
officials, or professional experts. They may also go to a library or research online. This is also gathering sources.
Let's talk about some of the important principles that a journalist needs to remember when they are gathering
sources: verification and objectivity.
PRINCIPLE 1. VERIFICATION: VERIFY SOURCES FOR TRUTH
AND ACCURACY
Journalists need to make sure that their information is accurate or true and correct. How can they know if their
source is accurate?
Being accurate means always having the correct facts, such as names, dates, and places. When a journalist gathers
sources by speaking to a witness or researching documents, they should always make sure that they write down
the correct information so that it is accurate when they use it in their article.
How can journalists verify a source to know that the information they get is accurate and
true?
To start, a journalist can ask themselves these questions:
1. Is this a primary source?
If we consider the car accident, we looked at earlier, an eyewitness is a primary source, while someone
who just heard about the accident is not.
2. Does the source have expert knowledge?
21
For a car accident, an expert on road safety or an automotive engineer would be a good source of
information.
PRINCIPLE 2. OBJECTIVITY: REPORT THE FACTS WITHOUT
FAVORING ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER.
A journalist must be objective. They must report the facts without favoring one side or the other or letting their
personal opinions or emotions interfere.
An objective journalist tells the truth and reports only accurate information. They do not change any facts or
details to improve the story. They remain neutral. They report stories without showing favor to any of the parties
involved.
Finally, an objective journalist is emotionally detached. They report the story without any emotion and present
the story in a calm and rational way.
By reporting objectively, journalists hope the audience will come to their own conclusion. They do not want to
influence the audience.
When gathering sources, an objective journalist will get information from as many sources as possible, including
sources they may personally dislike or disagree with.
SUMMARY:
•
A journalist should determine which information is based in fact and present accurate information from
all sides.
•
A journalist should not give equal time or weight to an opinion based on facts that are clearly not true.
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Principles of Journalism 2: Telling the Story
Untitled Image by 200 degrees via Pixabay is licensed under Pixabay license
[Video available online for viewing. Script below.]
Now, we will look at the principles that a journalist needs to remember when they are telling the story or writing
their article.
PRINCIPLE 3: ORIGINALITY. CREATE ORIGINAL WORK.
The first important principle to remember when writing a story is originality. When a journalist writes a story, they
are creating something new. A journalist must not borrow the words of others and pretend that they have created
them.
Imagine a hospital is being built in your town. This is an important story and many people have been writing about
it. Obviously, the facts of the story are the same, but the way the journalist writes about the hospital must be
original and not copied from someone else. If a journalist copies a story about the hospital from someone else and
then puts their name on it, we call it plagiarism.
PRINCIPLE 4: COMPLETENESS. TELL THE WHOLE STORY.
Another important principle to remember is completeness. This means that journalists need to tell the whole
story, not just a part of it. Journalists must present a story in context, which means looking at both sides of a story
as well as the events in the past that lead to the situation.
PRINCIPLE 5: TRANSPARENCY. THE JOURNALISTIC PROCESS
SHOULD BE CLEAR TO THE AUDIENCE.
The third principle that we are talking about in this video is transparency. This is a word that we normally use to
describe something that you could see through. Like a glass window. When we use it to talk about journalism, we
mean that the people have the opportunity to look at the process that the journalist goes through when they write
their article.
For example, the journalist makes it clear who they spoke to and also, who they could not speak to.
Also, if the journalist has some connection to the story, they need to be transparent and tell people what that
connection is. For example, if the journalist's spouse is an architect who is going to help build the hospital, he or
she must state that in the article.
PRINCIPLE 6: FAIRNESS. WRITE ACCURATELY AND WITHOUT
BIAS
When a journalist writes an article, they must think about the principle of fairness. This means that a journalist
must think about the language they use in their article to make sure they accurately tell the facts without
bias. favoring one side or another.
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In the hospital example, they should use language that tells the facts about the advantages and disadvantages of
building the hospital.
It is important to remember that the journalist's goal should be to inform the public. The journalist should tell the
public what they need to know. The journalist should not manipulate the public or try to shape the way the public
thinks about something.
SUMMARY
We looked at the following principles for telling your story:
1. Originality. Use your own words to tell the story
2. Completeness. Tell the whole story.
3. Transparency. Make your process clear to the reader.
4. Fairness. Write accurately without bias.
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Language Focus: Word Families
Untitled Image by 200 degrees via Pixabay is licensed under Pixabay license
[Video available online for viewing. Script below.]
Hello! Welcome to this Language Focus lesson on word families. While you’ve been learning about the principles of
journalism, you may have noticed how some words have various forms, for example: journalism, journalist,
and journalistic.
The word endings, also called suffixes, change the part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, etc.) The root of the word,
the letters all forms have in common, stays the same.
Journalism is a noun. It means the act of writing for the news.
Journalist is also a noun. It means the person who produces news.
Journalistic is an adjective. It describes the process of making the news
Words with the same root but with different word endings are all part of the same word family.
In this lesson, we will look at word families, words with the same root and different endings to form various parts
of speech We'll also look at how the pronunciation may change in a word family.
C A N Y O U F I ND T H E R O O T I N T H E S E T H R E E W O R D S ?
journalism, journalist, journalistic
These words all share the root word journal
Let's take a look at another example.
We have talked about how verification is an important principle of journalism.
Information must be collected from verified sources.
That means that journalists must verify who the source is and what they are saying.
In those three sentences, we saw the root ver in three different forms. In English, many of the roots are borrowed
from Latin. In Latin ver means truth. Therefore, verification is the process of proving something is true. Verified is
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an adjective that describes something truthful. And finally, to verify is the verb form of the root ver. It's the action
verb of finding out if something is true.
Now, let's look at the words we can make from the root ver, meaning truth. Look at the sentences below. How
many forms of the root ver do you see?
Suffixes help us identify the part of speech (noun, verb, etc.)
Recognizing roots and suffixes can help you understand and learn new words. To understand a word, we often
start with the root and then look for the part of speech depending on the word ending, the letters at the end of
the word. For example, -tion in verification shows that this word is a noun. Other word ending that create nouns
include -tion. -ity, -ness, -cy, and -ment.
For example, govern is a verb meaning to manage or lead. When the suffix -ment is added to the end of the word,
we get government. Government is a noun which means the system or organization that manages or
leads. Government.
Let's take a look at the adjective word endings, -al, -ed, -able, -ent, and -ive.
In our first example, verified can be used as an adjective.
Information must be collected from verified sources.
Now let's look at transparency and transparent.
Transparency is important because the reader needs to understand the journalist's process to trust their story.
When we want to change the word from a noun to an adjective, we take away the -cy ending and an replace it
with a -t
Transparency -> transparent
Now, we can say "The journalist's process was transparent.”
Pronunciation: Suffixes can change syllable stress
When we change word form, the syllable stress can shift. A syllable is one vowel sound of a word. For example, cat
has one syllable. kitten has two syllables, kit-ten.
How many syllables are in the word verify?
Three! There are three syllables in the word verify. Ve-ri-fy
In English, we stress one (or more) syllables, meaning we pronounce it a little louder than the others. This helps
people understand each other.
In the word verify, we stress the first syllable: verify, VE-ri-fy
But when we change verify into a noun, verification, there are now 5 syllables:
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verification, ver-i-fi-CA-tion
When a word ends in –tion, the stress falls on the syllable before that ending.
1. nation, NA-tion
2. invitation, in-vi-TA-tion
3. communication, com-mu-ni-CA-tion
4. verification, ve-ri-fi-CA-tion
This is also true for words that end in –ity.
Original has four syllables (o-ri-gi-nal) and has second syllable stress (oRIginal).
When we change this adjective to a noun, using –ity, we have originality.
Originality has six syllables (o-ri-gi-na-li-ty) and the fourth syllable is stressed (o-ri-gi-NAL-i-ty). The fourth syllable
(-al) is right before the word ending, -ity.
Let’s look at one final example. Let’s take the word objective. How many syllables does this word have? (Three!
The word objective has three syllables: ob-jec-tive)
Now, let’s change objective from an adjective to a noun. We will add the suffix, -ity. Objectivity.
Objectivity. Which syllable has the stress? (ob-jec-TIV-i-ty. The third syllable is stressed)
SUMMARY
•
•
Word endings can change a word from one part of speech to another.
Word endings can change the syllable stress of a word.
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Quiz 4: Language Focus: Word Families
Instructions: For each item, choose the best word form (or pair of forms) to complete each sentence.
This quiz is worth 10 points. You must get at least seven points to pass the quiz.
>>>> Please note that this activity can only be completed in Canvas. <<<<
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Principles of Journalism 3: Making an Impact
Untitled Image by 200 degrees via Pixabay is licensed under Pixabay license
[Video available online for viewing. Script below.]
We have already looked at principles related to gathering sources and telling the story. Now, we are going to look
at the principles that are about impacting people, meaning, how people are affected by the articles that a
journalist writes.
We are going to talk now about the last four principles of journalism, restraint, humanity, accountability, and
empowerment.
PRINCIPLE 7: RESTRAINT
People show restraint when they stop themselves from doing something. Journalists show restraint when they
stop themselves from writing things that could be bad for people.
For example, sometimes people think the wrong person has committed a crime. In the rush to break a story, this
person's name and picture could be released on the Internet. This could have very bad consequences for
somebody who has not done anything wrong.
Showing restraint avoids hurting innocent people and creates a better story. When facts are verified properly, they
have a better chance of being accurate and true.
Journalists also show restraint when they allow their sources to be anonymous. This means that the journalist
does not share the source’s name. Journalists need to do this because sometimes bad things could happen to the
person if their name was known. They might lose their job or possibly even get hurt.
PRINCIPLE 8: HUMANITY
Another principle that a journalist must think about is being humane. This means caring about other people and
treating them with respect, treating them as humans, not just part of a story.
In an earlier lesson, we said that journalists should be objective, not favoring one side or another. However, a
journalist can be both objective in their writing and sympathetic to the people in a story.
For example, journalists should think about the feelings of a crime victim's friends and family even when they're
rushing to write a story.
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PRINCIPLE 9: ACCOUNTABILITY.
The next principle is accountability. A person is accountable when they take responsibility for their actions. They
are responsible for the things they do.
For a journalist, there are two types of accountability. The first is personal. A journalist must be responsible for the
story that they write. They must balance what the public needs to know and the rights of the people involved. If
there are mistakes in the story, a journalist must admit that they made a mistake. They must correct their
mistakes.
The second type of accountability involves holding the people in power responsible for their actions. People in
power may try to hide their actions from the public. The job of a journalist is to shine a light on these actions and
let everybody know what the person in power has done.
For example, in a situation where drinking water has been polluted, the people responsible for making sure the
water is clean should explain what happened. They must explain what they are doing to stop it happening again.
PRINCIPLE 10: EMPOWERMENT
The final principle is empowerment, which means giving power to people who do not have it. There are many
people all over the world who feel powerless. They have little control over their lives and their rights. They might
be living in poverty. They might be refugees. Maybe they are victims of war or natural disasters. A journalist's job is
to speak for the people who do not have the power to speak.
Next, check your journalism vocabulary with the following game.
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Quiz 5: Principles of Journalism Vocabulary
This quiz will check if you remember the definitions of the ten principles of journalism that you learned about in
the video lectures.
Directions: Choose the best definition for each principle of journalism.
>>>> Please note that this activity can only be completed in Canvas. <<<<
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Language Focus: Phrases for Agreeing and
Disagreeing
Untitled Image by 200 degrees via Pixabay is licensed under Pixabay license
[Video available online for viewing. Script below.]
Hello, in this lesson, we will talk about phrases you can use to express your opinion, and to agree or disagree with
someone else's opinion. This is important as we prepare for our discussion board.
When discussing opinions, there are words and phrases that can sound more appropriate and polite. In most
academic, professional, and even social situations, the goal is to have a discussion, not an argument.
It is important to choose your words carefully, so that everyone feels welcome to share their opinion and
participate in the conversation. Let's start with expressing your opinion.
1. EXPRESSING YOUR OPINION
There are several phrases that signal to the listener that the speaker is about to give an opinion. Can you think of
any?
▪ First, in my opinion...
▪ My point of view on this is...
▪ In my experience...
▪ Personally, I think...
▪ I strongly believe...
▪ I really feel that...
Here are some examples of strong opinions:
▪
In my opinion, the press should be free to print without fear of being punished.
▪
I strongly believe that governments should not control the media.
▪
In my experience, when governments control the media, people cannot make informed choices.
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2. PHRASES TO AGREE WITH SOMEONE ELSE'S OPINION
Now, let's talk about phrases we can use to agree with someone else's opinion.
What can you say if you completely agree with someone?
▪
Absolutely, I agree with you. 100%.
▪
I see what you mean.
▪
You're right.
▪
That's a good point.
▪
I couldn't agree with you more.
▪
Exactly. That's just what I was thinking.
These phrases are used to agree with someone's opinion, and are usually followed by a paraphrase, the same
opinion using different words. For example:
▪
"I agree with you 100%. Newspapers cannot help people make decisions if they only print the
government's views. "
▪
"I couldn't agree with you more. When governments control the news, people start to distrust the
government. "
3. PHRASES FOR DISAGREEING WITH AN OPINION
What can you say if you disagree with an opinion? Can you think of any phrases?
▪ I'm sorry to disagree with you, but....
▪
I'm afraid I must disagree.
▪
Yes, but don't you think...
These phrases signal disagreement but notice they're still appropriate and polite. In an academic setting like
college or university, you generally don't hear people say things like, "you're wrong" or "that's just not true." In
most public areas, (schools, the government, the press), people will disagree, but they will disagree in respectful
ways. Disagreeing doesn't always result in an argument.
For example:
▪ "I'm afraid I must disagree. The government's job is to keep its people safe."
▪
"Don't you think that if the press is allowed to write extreme views people could get upset and become
violent?"
▪
"I’m sorry to disagree with you, but the press shouldn't write articles that could create problems for the
government."
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4. PHRASES TO DISAGREE IN A FORMAL SITUATION
Finally, some situations are more formal than others. For example, if I were speaking with a member of
government or the president of the university, I would use formal language to disagree with someone else more
softly.
What are some phrases you can use in more formal situations to disagree softly and politely?
▪
I see your opinion, but...
▪
I'm not so sure about that.
▪
I understand what you’re saying, but...
Here you acknowledge what they are saying, but also separate your thoughts from their argument.
For example:
"I understand what you’re saying, but the government must work with the press. The press needs to report on
events with the government."
Try to use these phrases in the next activity.
You will be asked to express your opinion and respond to other students’ opinions.
These phrases will help you communicate clearly, appropriately, and politely.
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Private Journal 3: Case Study: Principles of
Journalism
Important: This is a private journal. It will not be graded or seen by your peers.
You can use this space to practice writing. If you want to share your ideas with your peers, you can copy your
response and paste it in the discussion that follows page.
CASE STUDY:
There have been a large number of traffic accidents at an intersection in your town.
You hear that there has just been another accident and immediately go to the intersection. When you
arrive, you find emergency workers helping the victims. A man and a child have been seriously injured.
The other driver is sitting in a police car.
You take many photos of the incident. You have to choose a photo to accompany your story. You have
photos of the injured man, the injured child, the other driver, and the damaged vehicles. Which photo
should you choose to accompany your story?
R E S P O N D W IT H Y O U R O P I N I O N B E L O W .
Use one of the phrases for expressing opinion which we have just studied:
▪
First, in my opinion...
▪
My point of view on this is...
▪
In my experience...
▪
Personally, I think...
▪
I strongly believe...
▪
I really feel that...
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Discussion: Case Study: Principles of Journalism
Note: This is an optional activity. You will not receive a grade or official feedback on your response.
>>>> Please note that this activity can only be completed in Canvas. <<<<
Case Study:
There have been a large number of traffic accidents at an intersection in your town. Many people have
been killed or injured in recent months at this intersection. You hear that there has just been another
accident and immediately go to the intersection. When you arrive, you find emergency workers helping
the victims. A man has been killed and a child has been seriously injured. The driver of the other car has
been arrested and is in handcuffs. Police tell you the driver is suspected of driving under the influence of
alcohol.
You take many photos of the incident. You have to choose a photo to accompany your story. You have
photos of the dead man, the injured child, the suspected drunk driver, and the damaged vehicles. Which
photo should you choose to accompany your story?
1. RESPOND WITH YOUR OPINION BELOW.
Use one of the phrases for expressing opinion which we have just studied:
▪ First, in my opinion...
▪ My point of view on this is...
▪ In my experience...
▪ Personally, I think...
▪ I strongly believe...
▪ I really feel that...
2. READ POSTS FROM OTHER STUDENTS
3. POST A RESPONSE TO EACH POST THAT YOU READ.
Use one of the phrases for agreeing and disagreeing which we have just studied.
Phrases for Agreeing:
▪ Absolutely, I agree with you. 100%.
▪ I see what you mean, you're right, that's a good point.
▪ I couldn't agree with you more.
▪ Exactly. That's just what I was thinking.
Phrases for Disagreeing:
▪ I'm sorry to disagree with you, but....
▪ I'm afraid I must disagree.
▪ Yes, but don't you think...
Module One Check
Please answer one question to verify that you have completed all activities in Module 1.
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You must choose "Yes" in order to move on in the course.
This quiz will count as 1 point toward your grade.
>>>> Please note that this activity can only be completed in Canvas. <<<<
>>>> This is the end of Module 1 <<<<
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