Central Bicol State University of Agriculture
Pasacao Campus
First Semester 2021-2022
Bessy G. Bare-Ronda
Assistant Professor III
__________________________________________________
(Name)
__________________________
(Year and Section)
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EL115 CAMPUS JOURNALISM
COURSE OVERVIEW
This course teaches the pre-service English teachers on the skills, principles, and
strategies of writing, lay- outing and publishing a campus paper in traditional and new
media formats. Ideas on how to get sources of news and how to be able to collate
information from various sources will also be taught to those taking the course. The preservice English teachers will be able to demonstrate content knowledge and application
of this allied field while showing skills in the positive use of ICT in Desktop Publishing
and ultimately to teaching and learning of journalism. Lastly, they are prompted to
uphold the dignity of teaching and the journalism field through a caring attitude, social
responsibility, respect, and integrity.
Course Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
1. Demonstrate content knowledge and application of the principles, strategies, and
language-related skills in journalistic writing and in teaching this skill to future
learners through demo-lecture and workshop,
2. Demonstrate positive skills in the use of ICT in writing, doing a layout, and publishing
a campus paper incorporating the general do‘s and don‘t‘s of writing various sections
of the paper including desktop publishing; and
3. Manifest caring attitude, social responsibility, respect, and integrity in pitching a story,
writing articles, and publishing a campus paper.
COURSE CALENDAR
Week
1-3
Begin Date
Aug. 16, 2021
Topics
Overview of
Campus Journalism
Assessment
Reflective Writing
Introduction to
Journalism
Definition
Common Media
Forms
Overview/Review of
Medial Literacy
History of
Journalism in the
World
History of
Journalism and
2
4-5
Sep. 6, 2021
6
Sep. 20, 2021
7-9
Sep 27, 2021
10-11
Oct. 18, 2021
Campus Journalism
in the Philippines
Principles of
Journalism
Features of a
Campus Journalist
RA7079 – Campus
Journalism Act and
the Press
Conference
The Editorial Board
Issues in Campus
Journalism
Sections of a
Campus Paper
Choosing a Topic
Researching
Interviewing and
Quoting Sources
The Print Media:
from Topic and
Article
Assessment 1
Sources and the
Flight of Campus
News
Essentials of News
Elements of News
Principles of
Journalism
applicable to News
Inverted Pyramid
Structure in News
Types of News
The Lead
Sources and
Citation in News
Writing
Writing the Actual
News Article
Feature and
Science Writing
Discussion Board
Producing a Story
Pitch
Writing a News
Article
Table Analysis on
the Elements,
Structure and Types
Elements of Feature of Feature and
and Science Writing Science Writing
3
12
Nov. 1, 2021
13-14
Nov. 8, 2021
15-16
Nov. 22, 2021
Definitions
Principles of
Journalism
applicable to
Feature
Structure of the
Feature Article
Types of Features
Interviewing for
Feature
Writing the Actual
Feature Article
Assessment 2
Editorial/Opinion
Writing
Essentials of
Editorial
Editorial vs. Opinion
vs. Column
Principles of
Journalism
applicable to
Editorial
Editorial Structures
Techniques in
Claiming Opinions
and Supporting
Claims
Types of Editorials
Topic Choice/ News
Peg
Writing the Actual
Editorial Article
Revising, Editing,
Proofreading/
Copyreading, and
Publishing
Writing a Feature or
Science Article
Process
Assessment on
Editorial News
Writing
Short Objective
Quiz on Revising,
Editing,
Proofreading and
Publishing
Revising and
Editing Processes
in Campus
Journalism
The Copyreader –
Duties and
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17
18
Dec. 6, 2021
Characteristics
Copyreading and
Proofreading
Symbols
Proofreading and
Publishing
Processes in
Campus Journalism
Photojournalism
Dec. 13, 2021
Qualities of
Effective Photos
The Photo Essay
Techniques in
Photojournalism
Captioning
Photo Editing
Assessment 3
Photo Essay
Presentation
Test
INSTRUCTOR
BESSY G. BARE-RONDA
Assistant Professor III
Central Bicol State University of Agriculture
Pasacao Campus
College of Education
bessy.bare@cbsua.edu.ph
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ASSESSMENTS
Type
Week 1-6
Producing a
Pitch Story
30%
CLO1,
CLO2
Sep 25,
2020
Week 712
Writing a
Science or
Feature
Article
Test
30%
CLO3,
CLO4
November
6, 2020
40%
CLO5,
CLO6
December
18, 2020
Week 1318
Percentage
Course
Learning
Outcomes
Assessment
Due Date
Graduate Attributes
Professional
Transversal
Subject
Matter
Knowledge
Subject
Matter
Knowledge
Critical
Thinking
Subject
Matter
Knowledge
Critical
Thinking
Critical
Thinking
6
Weeks 1 – 3
Module 1: OVERVIEW OF CAMPUS JOURNALISM
CAMPUS JOURNALISM
In 1991, the Philippine Government passed the Campus Journalism Act, one of the
strongest laws which supports the development and promotion of student journalism,
rights of the youth, and preserving the integrity of student publications. The law also
states that anyone who obstructs or coerces any student publication and a student
journalist shall be penalized.
Since the 18th century, students raised their voices to demand social and political
changes in their universities and countries. They then began to write letters and
petitions as a form of protest. By the end of the 19th century, universities and colleges
in the U.S had weekly newspapers and many of them even had dailies. By 1973, more
than 1,200 university newspapers had been published.
We‘ve all been a part of our school/college newspapers or magazines, be it in photos,
published articles, essays, and more. However, there is more to it than just
commissioning, writing and editing articles, it fosters a sense of liberalism, freedom of
speech, the expression of societal issues, and other ‗tabooed‘ topics that you won‘t find
in textbooks. Typically, a campus newspaper or magazine functions exactly how the
media is supposed to – reporting the news, help determine which issues should be
discussed, and keep people actively involved in society and politics.
Campus journalism exists in three main forms –
School-sponsored – where the income arrives from university.
Independent – a student publication not affiliated with the school
Online – in the form of blogs, podcasts, or PDF copies of printed versions.
It gives students the opportunity to hone and practice their journalistic skills, and be the
voice of change by getting readers to think about pressing issues that they probably
wouldn‘t have read anywhere else. Certain student communities also look to expand
their horizons beyond just the campus, and discuss topics such as gender equality,
human rights or even the protection of animals.
One of the biggest benefits of campus journalism is that you never get into trouble,
unlike the case with mainstream media in society. However, this does not mean that
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reportage has ‗no limits‘. Campus newspapers and magazines have established certain
boundaries and authorities can even take action should these boundaries be crossed.
An article in Careers 360 says the The Scholar‘s Avenue lost it‘s funding after
publishing a report on the poor condition of the hospital, at IIT-Kharagpur. However,
articles that are controversial in nature often get heavy editing or may even be
completely scrapped.
Certain campus newspapers are always solely run by the students themselves, they
have a presiding faculty member steering the ship. However, this doesn‘t mean you will
have to filter out your opinions, the faculty‘s sole purpose is to serve as an advisor, that
will be instrument in establishment and growth. However, being a part of a dynamic
team will teach you soft-skills more than any classroom could, like effective
communication and management skills.
Campus Journalism does not have to limit itself to the university level, but should also
have an important stake at a National level too. Afterall, the youth are the change
makers, and will determine the future of any society by formulating, amending, and
implementing national policies.
WHAT IS JOURNALISM?
Journalism is the act of writing about news related subjects for all mediums, print and
non-print. It is also the complicated process of taking information and sifting through it,
editing information, and giving it context. The journalist is always involved in the
selection and presentation of what he or she considers to be noteworthy, and in meeting
the standard of truth and honesty in reporting. Journalism incorporates everything from
the "hard" news of politics and public affairs, to the softer side, which includes human
interest and celebrity stories. Today, journalism also delivers lifestyle messages,
medical updates, weather, science, education, and much more.
Before news can be published on newsprint or read from a teleprompter, however, the
ideas must be penned by an individual. This person is a journalist, and is most likely
schooled in the art of writing for news outlets. That is because journalistic writing is
much different from any other style of composition. There are several steps to the
process of journalism that begins with gathering news from the local, national, or world
community, and ends when it is disseminated via any number of media channels. These
include radio and television, newspapers and magazines, and now, the ever-present
and ubiquitous Internet.
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The majority of the global population relies on journalism to remain informed. Journalists
act as the eyes and ears of the average person, and often as their mouthpiece, as well,
which is not always advantageous. One thing is certain, journalism is an expanding
profession. But, the question is, what type of people are journalists? The answer may
surprise you. First and foremost, the majority of journalists are white males. Across the
board, it is estimated that minority journalists comprise about 12 percent of any media
outlet. This has been the reality since the late 1970s, even as most news organizations
have claimed their goal is to increase the diversity of their newsrooms. Too, a journalist
must have above average, or excellent, writing ability. This is not a skill that comes
naturally to most people, but one that must be developed and honed. It is an expertise
that takes hundreds, if not thousands, of hours to gain competency.
Therefore, if you are interested in pursuing a career in journalism, you must realize from
the outset that you are going to spend many hours alone with your pen and paper or
word processor, practicing how to craft words and ideas that will be engaging, intriguing,
and thought-provoking.
Let us consider what is meant by the term "news" before moving forward. In its simplest
form, news is a recounting of an event, an opinion, or a fact that will interest people. The
account is usually of a current incident, and avoids libel or dishonest slandering of
another individual. There are a number of conditions that are usually applied when a
journalist is deciding if information is newsworthy. First, those events that occur closest
to the recipients of news are usually of greatest interest. While people may be mildly
interested in the happenings on the other side of the world, they tend to believe it has
little relevance to their own daily existence.
Secondly, if information is about people that are well-known, this tends to be more
interesting to the average individual and, therefore, noteworthy and newsworthy. While
it may not impact a person to learn about the trials and tribulations, successes and
failures, it is usually a welcome distraction to the sameness of a person's life. Next,
people find information that is novel and timely to be newsworthy. People love to learn
about quirky events, and breaking news has become one of the most common
catchphrases in journalism today. Finally, stories with conflict will generally captivate an
audience, although they will want closure as well. When a story, such as the gulf oil
spill, goes on for weeks or months, people lose interest.
Also, 24 hour news cycles have changed the work dynamic of journalism. Deadlines
that might have been once in a 24-hour period are now fluid, continuous, non-stop.
Today, there is a much greater reliance on audio and video than print, and people who
work in this part of the business consider themselves to be as much a part of the
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journalistic process as the writers and reporters. The paradigm of journalism is
changing.
Types of Print Media
It might be helpful to the beginning journalist to better understand the various
classifications of print journalism. The three main types are newspapers, magazines
and books. Newspapers come in the form of international, weekly, Sunday edition,
national, local, tabloid, and broadsheet. Circulation figures also delineate newspapers -the larger the numbers, the greater the advertising revenues, and the more influential
the paper.
Magazines are a separate and broad form of print mass communication. Generally
speaking, they cater to different age groups and/or interests, such as business, the arts,
teen fashion, homemaking and dozens of other subjects and specialized categories.
They are usually printed on glossy paper, with lots of color and photographs, soft-bound
and issued according to a calendar that appeals to their consumers. Some are weekly,
others bi-weekly, and then there are the most common form – the monthly magazine.
Except for those that are intended to deliver hard-hitting news, most magazines are
designed to be recreational reading, with short articles and an abundance of pictures.
Magazines are usually not meant to be educational, although they can be; nor are they
expected to be used as reference, except for the special category of academic and
peer-reviewed journals that are written to appeal to the educationally-immersed
segment of the population.
Books are the third form of print media (hardcover and paperback). And these date back
to the very earliest days of mankind. There was a time when books were created by
hand, one at a time. Few were educated in the art of reading back in the days of ancient
mankind, and even fewer had the ability to write or copy with the tools of the trade that
were popular at that time, such as the quill and ink. While none of these scribes could
be characterized as journalists, they give an almost romantic bend to the story of the
history of writing and publishing. Moreover, it offers an authentic view of the beginnings
of journalism and writing long before the invention of the printing press.
COMMON MEDIA FORMS
Modern media comes in many different formats, including print media (books,
magazines, newspapers), television, movies, video games, music, cell phones, various
kinds of software, and the Internet. Each type of media involves both content, and also
a device or object through which that content is delivered.
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Print Media
The term 'print media' is used to describe the traditional or "old-fashioned" print-based
media that today's parents grew up with, including newspapers, magazines, books, and
comics or graphic novels. Historically, only wealthy publishers had access to
sophisticated type-setting technologies necessary to create printed material, but this
has changed in recent years with the widespread accessibility of desktop publishing
software and print-on-demand publication services such as Lulu.com (LINK). More
recently, electronic book readers such as the Amazon Kindle which store hundreds of
books on a single device and which allow readers to directly download books and
newspapers have become popular.
Television
Television has been entertaining American families for over fifty years. In the beginning,
there were few programs to pick from, but today, there are literally hundreds of general
and specialty channels to choose from and thousands upon thousands of programs.
Where it was once the case that programs had to be watched at the time they were
broadcast on a television, this is no longer the case. Today, viewers can summon a
movie or television episode whenever they want, through many cable or satellite
services' pay-per-view or free on-demand services. They may also download or stream
episodes from the Internet and watch them on their computers. Viewers may use DVR
(digital video recorder) devices, such as a Tivo to record programs at one time and
watch them at another time. Viewers with certain cell phones may even watch programs
through their cell phones.
Movies
Movies (films) are the oldest form of motion picture technology capable of capturing
lifelike video-style images. Originally, movies could only be consumed at a
neighborhood movie theater, but these days movies are widely available for people to
consume in their homes, on their computers, and even in through their telephones.
Commercial movies are broadcast on television, and via cable and satellite services
which may feature High Definition (HD) video resolution and sound, essentially allowing
the movie theater experience to be replicated in a home theater environment.
Commercial movies are also distributed on DVD and Blu-Ray disks, which can be
rented from stores and through-the-mail services such as Netflix, and through
downloadable computer files, which can be legally downloaded from movie rental
services such as Amazon and iTunes or streamed through Netflix or on-demand cable
services. Home movies produced by amateurs with inexpensive video cameras are now
also widely available through video sharing websites such as YouTube.com and
Vimeo.com.
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Video Games
Available since the early 1980s, video games have only grown in popularity among
youth. Today's games make use of advanced graphics and processors to enable three
dimensional game play featuring highly realistic landscapes and physics simulations,
and the ability to compete against other players through a network connection. Modern
video games are immersive, exciting and increasingly interactive. Players feel like they
really are in the situation because of the life-like graphics and sounds. Through video
games, youth can extend their pretend play, as they become soldiers, aliens, race car
drivers, street fighters, and football players.
Popular gaming consoles today include Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony
Playstation III. There are also hand held consoles which enable mobile game play such
as Nintendo's DS. As well, some video games can also be played on personal
computers. Most video games use a hand-held device with buttons, joysticks, and other
devices for manipulating the characters on the screen. However, the newer games
systems use motion-detecting sensors, such as accelerometers which encourage
players to move their entire body to complete game activities. For example, in Wii
Tennis, a player swings his entire arm to have the player on the screen hit the tennis
ball.
Games such as the recently popular World of Warcraft are played in a networked
universe shared simultaneously by thousands of gamers at once. Players may be
across the street from one another or across the globe using the the Internet to
participate in a shared three-dimensional world in which each player can control one or
more avatars, and chat using text or voice.
Different Types of Media
The goal of media is to convey an advertising message to the audience through the
most appropriate media channel for their product.
In general, you can classify media in three main categories.
Print Media
This type of news media used to be the only way of delivering information to the public.
For the generations of the 80s and 90s, print media was the only media of entertain.
People relied on newspapers and magazines to learn everything, from recipes and
entertainment news to important information about the country or the world. Print media
includes:
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Newspapers – printed and distributed on a daily or weekly basis. They include news
related to sports, politics, technology, science, local news, national news, international
news, birth notices, as well as entertainment news related to fashion, celebrities, and
movies. Today‘s parents grew up with this type of printed media.
Magazines – printed on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. It contains
information about finance, food, lifestyle, fashion, sports, etc.
Books – focused on a particular topic or subject, giving the reader a chance to spread
their knowledge about their favorite topic.
Banners – used to advertise a company‘s services and products, hung on easilynoticed sights to attract people‘s attention.
Billboards – huge advertisements created with the help of computers. Their goal is to
attract people passing by.
Brochures – a type of booklet that includes everything about one company – its
products, services, terms and conditions, contact details, address, etc. They are either
distributed with the newspapers or hand over to people. Check this article to learn more
on how to ease the brochure design process here
Flyers – used mostly by small companies due to the low cost of advertising. They
contain the basic information about a company, their name, logo, service or product,
and contact information, and they are distributed in public areas.
Broadcasting Media
Broadcasting media includes videos, audios, or written content that provides important
or entertaining information shared by different methods:
Television – in the past, there were a few channels sharing various types of content,
whereas now we have hundreds of TV channels to choose from. Each channel delivers
a different type of content, so you have a separate channel for news, drama, movies,
sports, animation, nature, travel, politics, cartoon, and religion. It‘s the number one
broadcasting media due to its reach to the audience.
Radio – uses radio waves to transmit entertaining, informative, and educative content to
the public. Due to its high reach to the audience, radio is widely used for advertising
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products and services. Radio is one of the oldest means of entertainment, and today
people often hear it to find out the weather and traffic while commuting.
Movies – film, motion picture, screenplay, moving picture, or movie has world-wide
reachability. It‘s the best type of mass media to promote cultures and spread social
awareness. Movies have always played a huge part in the entertainment world.
Internet Media
Nowadays, we are relying on the Internet to get the news a lot more often than
traditional news sources. Websites provide information in the form of video, text, and
audio. We can even choose the way we want to receive the news. Types of Internet
media include:
Social networks or websites – including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube,
Tumblr, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Quora, Reddit, Pinterest, etc. They are user-friendly and
widely used by people around the world. Although we can find any news here, they may
be misleading because of the lack of regulations on the content shared.
Online forums - an online place where we can comment, message, or discuss a
particular topic. Forums allow us to share knowledge with other people with the same
interest. That‘s why it‘s regarded as the best platform to seek support and assistance.
Podcast – a series of audios focused on a particular topic or theme. We can listen to
them on a computer or a mobile phone. It‘s a platform that allows anyone to share
their knowledge and communicate with the world. You can browse some podcast
hosting sites to see what fits your needs best.
MEDIA LITERACY
Media literacy, put simply, is the ability to identify different types of media and the
messages they are sending. When we speak of media, it encompasses print media,
such as newspapers, magazines and posters, and theatrical presentations, tweets,
radio broadcasts, etc. Being able to understand these various forms of information with
an ability to make sense of what is presented is key.
When we see an image on television or in a magazine, what initially comes to our
mind? We make sense of what we see based on our own judgement, as well as past
experiences and sometimes based on our worldview or outlook. However, the images
themselves can conjure or sway our thinking in a particular direction.
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An image, and the way it is presented, can be biased and influence the viewer to take a
particular stance on a matter. Given the technological developments in the past few
years, we are bombarded by images, views, write-ups and videos that seek to sway us
to a particular way of thinking. Therefore, we as the readers or viewers need to view the
media objectively, with the goal to find out or analyze what is being presented. In a
perfect world, both sides of every argument or depiction would be presented and we
would be able to make informed decisions based on the information we receive in the
media; however, most often people create media to influence you in one particular way.
As an informed viewer, the onus is on you to first be able to read or view the media and
decipher what messages are being conveyed. Analyze the images to decide whether
they present a fair depiction of both sides of the argument. It is pivotal for us to consider
the source of the information and ask ourselves what the person‘s objective is. This can
clarify whether it is a reliable source or not. For example, Amazon.com is trying to sell a
product. The website‘s credibility is always important. When viewing a website, it is
important to consider the purpose of the site. Pages with a strong advocacy position,
especially on controversial topics, will not always present objective information, as they
may wish to sell you a product, an idea, a lifestyle or political viewpoint. One must also
consider the design of the site — a webpage with flashing graphics and intrusive
sounds and videos may be more interested in grabbing your attention than in presenting
reliable information. Pages cluttered with advertisements may be more interested in
earning income than providing useful content. It is very important to look at the site‘s
URL. For example, .gov or .mil is an official government website and the information on
these sites is subject to layers of reviewed quality assurance prior to posting. University
and school sites are identified by .edu and there are established standards for posting
information, as opposed to students with personal web pages that have no established
standards for information. Other URLS such as .com, .org, and .net follow their own
standards for quality control.
Therefore it is important when using various forms of media to consider the purpose of
the information you are viewing, also to consider the credibility of the source, as well to
draw a conclusion about the viewpoint or position being presented.
HISTORY OF JOURNALISM
Journalism, the collection, preparation, and distribution of news and related commentary
and feature materials through such print and electronic media as newspapers,
magazines, books, blogs, webcasts, podcasts, social networking and social media sites,
and e-mail as well as through radio, motion pictures, and television. The word
journalism was originally applied to the reportage of current events in printed form,
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specifically newspapers, but with the advent of radio, television, and the Internet in the
20th century the use of the term broadened to include all printed and electronic
communication dealing with current affairs.
The earliest known journalistic product was a news sheet circulated in ancient Rome:
the Acta Diurna, said to date from before 59 BCE. The Acta Diurna recorded important
daily events such as public speeches. It was published daily and hung in prominent
places. In China during the Tang dynasty, a court circular called a bao, or ―report,‖ was
issued to government officials. This gazette appeared in various forms and under
various names more or less continually to the end of the Qing dynasty in 1911. The first
regularly published newspapers appeared in German cities and in Antwerp about 1609.
The first English newspaper, the Weekly Newes, was published in 1622. One of the first
daily newspapers, The Daily Courant, appeared in 1702.
At first hindered by government-imposed censorship, taxes, and other restrictions,
newspapers in the 18th century came to enjoy the reportorial freedom and
indispensable function that they have retained to the present day. The growing demand
for newspapers owing to the spread of literacy and the introduction of steam- and then
electric-driven presses caused the daily circulation of newspapers to rise from the
thousands to the hundreds of thousands and eventually to the millions.
Magazines, which had started in the 17th century as learned journals, began to feature
opinion-forming articles on current affairs, such as those in the Tatler (1709–11) and the
Spectator (1711–12). Appearing in the 1830s were cheap mass-circulation magazines
aimed at a wider and less well-educated public, as well as illustrated and women‘s
magazines. The cost of large-scale news gathering led to the formation of news
agencies, organizations that sold their international journalistic reporting to many
different individual newspapers and magazines. The invention of the telegraph and then
radio and television brought about a great increase in the speed and timeliness of
journalistic activity and, at the same time, provided massive new outlets and audiences
for their electronically distributed products. In the late 20th century, satellites and later
the Internet were used for the long-distance transmission of journalistic information.
The Profession
Journalism in the 20th century was marked by a growing sense of professionalism.
There were four important factors in this trend: (1) the increasing organization of
working journalists, (2) specialized education for journalism, (3) a growing literature
dealing with the history, problems, and techniques of mass communication, and (4) an
increasing sense of social responsibility on the part of journalists.
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An organization of journalists began as early as 1883, with the foundation of England‘s
chartered Institute of Journalists. Like the American Newspaper Guild, organized in
1933, and the Fédération Nationale de la Presse Française, the institute functioned as
both a trade union and a professional organization.
Before the latter part of the 19th century, most journalists learned their craft as
apprentices, beginning as copyboys or cub reporters. The first university course in
journalism was given at the University of Missouri (Columbia) in 1879–84. In 1912
Columbia University in New York City established the first graduate program in
journalism, endowed by a grant from the New York City editor and publisher Joseph
Pulitzer. It was recognized that the growing complexity of news reporting and
newspaper operation required a great deal of specialized training. Editors also found
that in-depth reporting of special types of news, such as political affairs, business,
economics, and science, often demanded reporters with education in these areas. The
advent of motion pictures, radio, and television as news media called for an everincreasing battery of new skills and techniques in gathering and presenting the news.
By the 1950s, courses in journalism or communications were commonly offered in
colleges.
The literature of the subject—which in 1900 was limited to two textbooks, a few
collections of lectures and essays, and a small number of histories and biographies—
became copious and varied by the late 20th century. It ranged from histories of
journalism to texts for reporters and photographers and books of conviction and debate
by journalists on journalistic capabilities, methods, and ethics.
Concern for social responsibility in journalism was largely a product of the late 19th and
20th centuries. The earliest newspapers and journals were generally violently partisan
in politics and considered that the fulfillment of their social responsibility lay in
proselytizing their own party‘s position and denouncing that of the opposition. As the
reading public grew, however, the newspapers grew in size and wealth and became
increasingly independent. Newspapers began to mount their own popular and
sensational ―crusades‖ in order to increase their circulation. The culmination of this
trend was the competition between two New York City papers, the World and the
Journal, in the 1890s (see yellow journalism).
The sense of social responsibility made notable growth as a result of specialized
education and widespread discussion of press responsibilities in books and periodicals
and at the meetings of the associations. Such reports as that of the Royal Commission
on the Press (1949) in Great Britain and the less extensive A Free and Responsible
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Press (1947) by an unofficial Commission on the Freedom of the Press in the United
States did much to stimulate self-examination on the part of practicing journalists.
By the late 20th century, studies showed that journalists as a group were generally
idealistic about their role in bringing the facts to the public in an impartial manner.
Various societies of journalists issued statements of ethics, of which that of the
American Society of Newspaper Editors is perhaps best known.
Present-Day Journalism
Although the core of journalism has always been the news, the latter word has acquired
so many secondary meanings that the term ―hard news‖ gained currency to distinguish
items of definite news value from others of marginal significance. This was largely a
consequence of the advent of radio and television reporting, which brought news
bulletins to the public with a speed that the press could not hope to match. To hold their
audience, newspapers provided increasing quantities of interpretive material—articles
on the background of the news, personality sketches, and columns of timely comment
by writers skilled in presenting opinion in readable form. By the mid-1960s most
newspapers, particularly evening and Sunday editions, were relying heavily on
magazine techniques, except for their content of ―hard news,‖ where the traditional rule
of objectivity still applied. Newsmagazines in much of their reporting were blending
news with editorial comment.
Journalism in book form has a short but vivid history. The proliferation of paperback
books during the decades after World War II gave impetus to the journalistic book,
exemplified by works reporting and analyzing election campaigns, political scandals,
and world affairs in general, and the ―new journalism‖ of such authors as Truman
Capote, Tom Wolfe, and Norman Mailer.
The 20th century saw a renewal of the strictures and limitations imposed upon the press
by governments. In countries with communist governments, the press was owned by
the state, and journalists and editors were government employees. Under such a
system, the prime function of the press to report the news was combined with the duty
to uphold and support the national ideology and the declared goals of the state. This led
to a situation in which the positive achievements of communist states were stressed by
the media, while their failings were underreported or ignored. This rigorous censorship
pervaded journalism in communist countries.
In noncommunist developing countries, the press enjoyed varying degrees of freedom,
ranging from the discreet and occasional use of self-censorship on matters
embarrassing to the home government to a strict and omnipresent censorship akin to
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that of communist countries. The press enjoyed the maximum amount of freedom in
most English-speaking countries and in the countries of western Europe.
Whereas traditional journalism originated during a time when information was scarce
and thus highly in demand, 21st-century journalism faced an information-saturated
market in which news had been, to some degree, devalued by its overabundance.
Advances such as satellite and digital technology and the Internet made information
more plentiful and accessible and thereby stiffened journalistic competition. To meet
increasing consumer demand for up-to-the-minute and highly detailed reporting, media
outlets developed alternative channels of dissemination, such as online distribution,
electronic mailings, and direct interaction with the public via forums, blogs, usergenerated content, and social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
In the second decade of the 21st century, social media platforms in particular facilitated
the spread of politically oriented ―fake news,‖ a kind of disinformation produced by forprofit Web sites posing as legitimate news organizations and designed to attract (and
mislead) certain readers by exploiting entrenched partisan biases. During the campaign
for the U.S. presidential election of 2016 and after his election as president in that year,
Donald J. Trump regularly used the term ―fake news‖ to disparage news reports,
including by established and reputable media organizations, that contained negative
information about him.
CAMPUS JOURNALISM IN THE PHILIPPINES
The school paper is so much part of a student‘s life that he seldom considers how many
student writers and how much cooperation and technical skill are necessary, before he
receives from them the latest news, comment, feature stories and literary articles
promptly. In the city schools of Manila, at least six issues a year, or one per grading
period, is put out by selected staff members in both elementary and high schools.
High school student publications are almost as old as the Philippine Public School
system itself. For instance, the first Manila High School, now the Araullo High School,
then under the editorship of Carlos P. Romulo, started putting out a mimeographed
student paper named The Coconut in the school year 1911-1912.
As an extra- curricular activity in the early Philippine public high schools, student
publication was introduced in the country shortly after its wide adoption in the American
high schools and colleges.
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It is believed that the first high school paper in the United States was published in 1851.
However, it was not until the early 1920‘s that student journalism had gained
acceptance in the American high schools.
LA UNION TAB- the first regularly issued printed high school paper. It was published in
1923. Since then, pioneer high school papers came out after the other.
Among these school organs were:
The Pampangan – Pampanga High School, 1925
The Leytean- Leyte high School, 1925
The Rizalian- Rizal High School, 1926
The Coconut- Tayabas High School, 1927
The Toil- La Union Trade School, 1928
The Samarinian- Samar High School, 1928
By 1931, there were 106 high schools in the country. Since then, although there had
been no regulatory memorandum or circulars urging high schools to put out a school
paper, newly organized high schools followed suit. Out of those 106 high schools, only
30 had school papers registered with the Bureau of Public schools.
By 1950, this increased to 169; by 1954, to 253; by 1975, to 500, and by 1986 to more
than 900 English and Filipino secondary school papers. Circular Letter No. 34, s. 1929the first significant regulation governing the putting out of high school papers which set
down certain requirements based on the Service Manual.
Issued by the Bureau of Education (now DepEd) signed by Director Luther B. Bewley.
Among the requirements were:
1. Capable teachers be available to supervise carefully all steps of the paper‘s
production
2. That finances be sufficient to avoid seeking subscriptions and to prevent financial
embarrassment to the faculty
3. That a printer who has equipment to produce a creditable paper be available.
The circular objected to the publication of school papers containing undesirable
materials, poor printing, and faulty English.
OCTOBER 22, 1945- Acting Executive Officer John H. Mcbride Jr. Of the Department of
Instruction and Information sent a letter to all division superintendents quoting
provisions from the Service Manual stating that the school papers should consist chiefly
of articles treating of school activities, that they should be free from advertisements,
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from questionable jokes and cartoons and from worthless poetry and prose. It is stated
further that articles purporting to be written by students should be solely the product of
their efforts, the assistance of the teacher being limited only to criticisms.
The first school paper in Manila public high schools and incidentally in the country was
born. (The Coconut)
2nd- Torres Torch of Torres High School- September 1930
3rd- Mapazette-Mapa High School
The Chronicler- Arellano High School (both in 1940)
All the rest were born after World War II.
The lists of Manila High school publications with their Filipino paper counterparts, as of
1967 are hereby listed in chronological order:
*1911- The Coconut (mimeographed) later renamed The Wall in 1937, Araullo High
School: Ang Moog,
June 1957
*1930- The Torres Torch, Torres High School: Ang Sulo, June-July 1956
*1940 (Sept.) - The Mappazette, Mapa High School: Ang Gabay, 1946
*1940- (Nov.) - The Chronicler, Arellano High School: Ang Tambuli, November 1945
*1946- The Power, EARIST: Ang Lakas
*1947 (Sept.) - The Gazette, Abad Santos High School: Ang Tinig, June 1957
*1954 (July) - The Evening Progress, EARIST
Formal Introduction of Journalism
Although the first school paper in the City schools of Manila was published in School
Year 1911- 1912, formal classroom instruction in high school journalism began in 1952.
Mrs. Sarah England, an American teacher of Mapa High School, experimented the
teaching of journalism. Since, it proved successful, the other four existing high schools
in the city followed suit ( Araullo, Torres, Arellano, and Abad Santos). They formally
offered journalism as a vocational subject holding classes on a daily period throughout
the school year. Since then, journalism has been under the supervision of English
supervisors, but the grades are considered vocational subjects.
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1964- Mrs. Clehenia San juan, then the department head of English in Araullo high
School, was appointed journalism supervisor.
SCOPE AND FUNCTIONS OF JOURNALISM, CAMPUS JOURNALISM
There are three major divisions of journalism: written journalism, oral journalism and
visual journalism. News papers and magazines fall under written journalism and are
classified as periodicals. Periodicals are publications released in regular intervals: bimonthly, monthly, weekly, etc.
A newspaper, compared to the magazine, prints more news and has no special cover.
Newspapers are printed in paper called newsprint. News is printed all over the
newspaper having the hottest news in the front page.
A magazine, on the other hand, has a special cover and prints less news but more
human interest stories and features. Magazines are printed in book paper and if ever a
magazine contains news, it‘s brief, summarized and can only be found in side pages.
Periodicals, journals, books, graphic media and brochures are under print media. Radio
falls under oral journalism and while television, movies and documentaries are under
oral-visual journalism.
Radio and television are examples of broadcast media while movies and documentaries
are examples of film media.
FUNCTIONS OF CAMPUS PAPERS
A campus paper may be mimeographed or printed published or released by an
organization or school whose name or logo appears in the masthead or in the editorial
box. The campus paper like any other media has functions.
Aid To Students
Provides opportunity for interesting writing.
Gives students the opportunity to learn how to read the newspapers.
Acts as stimulus to better work.
Develops students‘ power of observation and discrimination concerning relative merits
of news articles.
Serves as outlet and motivation for journalistic writing.
Offers training in organizations, business methods, commercial arts, salesmanship,
bookkeeping and business management.
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Develops qualities of cooperation, tact, accuracy, tolerance, responsibility and
leadership.
Aid To School And Community
Informs the community of the work of the school.
Publishes school news.
Creates and expresses school opinions.
Makes known the achievements of the school.
Helps unify the school.
Encourages and stimulates worthwhile activities.
Develops right standard of conduct.
Provides and outlet for students‘ suggestions for the betterment of the school.
Develops better interschool relationship.
Develops school spirit.
Develops cooperation between the parents and the school.
The campus paper also has these following functions:
INFORMATION FUNCTION: This is the news functions of the campus paper: to inform.
Since information dissemination is the maid purpose of the campus paper, this is the
function most likely performed by any campus paper. It gives the readers information
concerning the things around the community and within the school.
OPINION FUNCTION: Through the editorials and editorial columns, the editor has the
chance to post his opinion regarding current events inside the school and the
community. The main purpose for this is to persuade to reader toward a certain point of
view.
EDUCATION FUNCTION: Tabooed topics such as sex, sex education, family planning
and the like are extensively and intensively discussed by writers of campus papers. This
is one of the most important functions of the campus paper: to educate.
WATCHDOG FUNCTION: The school paper serves as an eye for the readers to see
what is happening in the school and to guard the right of the young ones.
LABORATORY FUNCTION: It serves as the teaching tool for budding journalists.
Neophytes pattern their new experience from the existing and past papers.
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DOCUMENTATION FUNCTION: Important school events and worthwhile student
accomplishments and achievements are recorded in the campus paper for posterity‘s
sake. Most present day stories are researched from old newspapers.
ENTERTAINMENT FUNCTION: The school paper, like an interesting book, keeps the
reader company especially when he is alone. Most human interest stories are
stimulating to read.
DEVELOPMENTAL FUNCTION: In developing a country like the Philippines, scholastic
and commercial journalism has been given greater and nobler significance. The sources
of new journalists are school also. Journalists in campus publications are most likely to
be the journalists of the future. The young journalist whose news deals with club
activities, school elections and campus activities will eventually become a better one
whose news deal with activities of the nation, national elections and national concerns.
The developmental function of the campus paper doesn't only have implications on the
young one himself but also on the school as a whole. School administrators and staff
may reflect their performance on the school paper and see what improvements must be
done.
FEATURES OF A GOOD JOURNALIST
Journalists are the ones who must gather facts of a news story and organize the facts to
tell a story. These activities are the same regardless of the subject, value, format, or
medium to deliver the news story. Journalists need to possess the following qualities:
Ethical: Ethics are moral standards of right and wrong that govern our actions. For
journalists acting with this integrity is critical to ensure the information shared is
accurate and fair. The Society of Professional journalists lists the following in its code of
ethics: See truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently, be accountable and
transparent.
Persistence: To be the best, journalists need to have a clear sense of their story mission
and a large pool of resources. Rejection is a part of the journalist‘s job. Journalists must
deal with rejection by not letting it derail their progress toward the truth and the
deadline. Rejection can come in the form of not getting responses for quotes on a story
to a whole story being rejected by a publication. Rejection will always be a part of the
job, but by learning to craft better questions based on research and propose stories that
align with the publication‘s mission.
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Enjoy interacting with people: Journalists build relationships with many people while
conducting interviews. These relationships become reliable contacts. Having the ability
to speak comfortably with people to get them to provide information to you is vital.
Interact with the audience before you need them so that when you need to request
information it is not taken as a demand.
Expert listening skills: To be a good interviewer a journalist must learn to listen.
Journalists are most successful when they ask dimple direct questions and repeat the
same with follow-up questions. When journalists are speaking they are not acquiring
information which is the goal of the interview. Speak to ask the simple question, then
listen. According to Universal Class, Journalism Skills – Listening and Observing:
Research shows that the average individual only hears and retains anywhere from 25%
to 50% of the messages being vocalized, a fact that journalists must be keenly aware
of, so they do not fall into the trap of only capturing half of the content of what is being
said.
Organized: Journalists handle multiple tasks will few resources. Successful journalists
excel at managing responsibilities by staying organized. These journalists run their days
efficiently and flexibly always anticipating the need to reroute their time during the day.
With few resources, time is not a resource to be wasted.
Accept criticism: Journalists must understand that criticism is necessary; it keeps
journalists accountable. With social media it is easy to publish criticism online and the
public expects publications to respond. Journalists must become accustomed to
explaining mistakes and engage in conversations with readers.
While these are qualities of a good journalist, they can be easily substituted for
communicators and technical writers.
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7079
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION OF
CAMPUS JOURNALISM AND FOR THEIR PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress Assembled:
Section 1. Title. – This Act shall be known and referred to as the "Campus Journalism
Act of 1991."
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Section 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is the declared policy of the State to uphold and
protect the freedom of the press even at the campus level and to promote the
development and growth of campus journalism as a means of strengthening ethical
values, encouraging critical and creative thinking, and developing moral character
and personal discipline of the Filipino youth.In furtherance of this policy, the State
shall undertake various programs and projects aimed at improving the journalistic
skills of students concerned and promoting responsible and free journalism.
Section 3. Definition of Terms. –
(a) School. – An institution for learning in the elementary, secondary or tertiary level
comprised of the studentry, administration, faculty and non-faculty personnel;
(b) Student Publication. – The issue of any printed material that is independently
published by, and which meets the needs and interests of, the studentry;
(c) Student Journalist. – Any bona fide student enrolled for the current semester or term,
who was passed or met the qualification and standards of the editorial board.He
must likewise maintain a satisfactory academic standing.
(d) Editorial Board. – In the tertiary level, the editorial board shall be composed of
student journalists who have qualified in placement examinations.In the case of
elementary and high school levels, the editorial board shall be composed of a duly
appointed faculty adviser, the editor who qualified and a representative of the
Parents-Teachers' Association, who will determine the editorial policies to be
implemented by the editor and staff members of the student publication concerned.
At the tertiary level, the editorial board may include a publication adviser at the option of
its members.
(e) Editorial Policies. – A set of guidelines by which a student publication is operated
and managed, taking into account pertinent laws as well as the school
administration's policies.Said guidelines shall determine the frequency of the
publication, the manner of selecting articles and features and other similar matters.
Section 4. Student Publication. – A student publication is published by the student body
through an editorial board and publication staff composed of students selected but
fair and competitive examinations.
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Once the publication is established, its editorial board shall freely determine its editorial
policies and manage the publication's funds.
Section 5. Funding of Student Publication. – Funding for the student publication may
include the savings of the respective school's appropriations, student subscriptions,
donations, and other sources of funds.
In no instance shall the Department of Education, Culture and Sports or the school
administration concerned withhold he release of funds sourced from the savings of
the appropriations of the respective schools and other sources intended for the
student publication. Subscription fees collected by the school administration shall be
released automatically to the student publication concerned.
Section 6. Publication Adviser. – The publication adviser shall be selected by the school
administration from a list of recommendees submitted by the publication staff. The
function of the adviser shall be limited to one of technical guidance.
Section 7. Security of Tenure. – A member of the publication staff must maintain his or
her status as student in order to retain membership in the publication staff.A student
shall not be expelled or suspended solely on the basis of articles he or she has
written, or on the basis of the performance of his or her duties in the student
publication.
Section 8. Press Conferences and Training Seminar. – The Department of Education,
Culture and Sports shall sponsor periodic competitions, press conferences and
training seminars in which student-editors/writers and teacher-adviser of student
publications in the elementary, secondary and tertiary levels shall participate. Such
competitions, conferences and seminars shall be held at the institutional, divisional,
and regional levels, culminating with the holding of the annual national elementary,
secondary or tertiary School Press Conferences in places of historical and/or cultural
interest in the country.
Section 9. Rules and Regulations. – The Department of Education, Culture and Sports,
in coordination with the officers of the national elementary, secondary or tertiary
organizations or official advisers of student publications, together with student
journalists at the tertiary level and existing organizations of student journalists, shall
promulgate the rules and regulations necessary for the effective implementation of
this Act.
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Section 10. Tax Exemption. – Pursuant to paragraph 4, Section 4, Article XIV of the
Constitution, all grants, endowments, donations, or contributions used actually,
directly and exclusively for the promotion of campus journalism as provided for in
this Act shall be exempt from donor's or gift tax.
Section 11. Appropriations. – For the initial year of implementation, the sum of Five
million pesos (P5,000,000.00) is hereby authorized to be charged against the
savings from the current appropriations of the Department of Education, Culture and
Sports. Thereafter, such amount as may be necessary shall be included in the
General Appropriations Act.
Section 12. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following the
completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers
of general circulation.
Approved: July 5, 1991.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PUBLICATION STAFF
1. CHIEF EDITOR / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The chief editor supervises the editorial staff of the paper. Usually, he/she writes the
editorials of the organ after consultation with the members of the editorial staff.
However, any member may write the editorial so long as he/she follows the guidelines
in writing. Further, he/she edits all articles preparatory to submission of the same to the
adviser for final editing and approval for publication. He/she likewise supervises the
preparation of the layout, dummy of the paper and its pagination in cooperation with the
managing editor and layout artist. He/she also causes the accomplishment of all
assignments properly and on time. At times, he/she acts as the liaison officer between
the editorial staff and the adviser, as he/she also call meetings of the staff.
2. ASSOCIATE EDITOR
The associate editor edits the articles in cooperation with the chief editor. Also, he/she
may be delegated to write editorials of the organ. He prepares assignments of section
editors in consultation with the chief editor. Further, he/she cooperates in the
preparation of the layout of the paper and paging of the same with the chief editor and
the managing editor.
3. MANAGING EDITOR
Acting as the hand of the board, the managing editor brings articles to the press for
typesetting. As such, he/she also checks articles for typographical errors. He/she
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prepares the layout of the paper and paging of the same in consultation with the chief
editor. Finally, he/she proofreads galley proofs before these are finally approved by the
chief editor, then by the adviser for printing.
4. CIRCULATION MANAGER
As the nomenclature suggests, he/she is assigned in ensuring the release and
distribution of the paper. He/she also guarantees the smooth flow of the passing of
articles from reporters to section editors. He/she is assigned to oversee the flow of
processes in crafting the paper.
5. SECTION EDITORS
a. NEWS EDITOR
Assigned as the reporter to cover events relevant to the school activities, he/she writes
news articles on assignment from the chief editor or through his/her own initiative in
consultation with the latter. However, his/her primordial job is to edit all news articles
submitted by the writers preparatory to submission of the same to the chief editor then
to the adviser.
b. FILIPINO EDITOR
This is an optional staff function or position; nonetheless, his/her prime job is to write the
editorial of the Filipino section. He/she also edits all articles preparatory to submission
of the same to the Filipino adviser, for final editing and for publication. Sometimes,
he/she causes the submission for final editing and for publication. Sometimes, he/she
causes the submission of all Filipino articles properly and timely. He/she may likewise
act as liaison officer between Filipino staff and the chief editor.
c. FEATURE EDITOR
The feature editor gives out assignments to feature writers. He/she then receives and
edits feature articles preparatory to the submission of the same to the chief editor.
Sometimes, he/she writes regular articles or columns.
d. EXCHANGE EDITOR
For beginning school paper system, this is an optional function. Sometimes, the
functions of the exchange editor are accomplished by the circulation manager.
Nevertheless, the exchange editor makes up a list of the school papers sent by other
schools. He/she is designated to mail copies of own paper to these schools as he/she
also files their paper on a bulletin board or display them on a newspaper rack. He/she,
too, keeps files of school information, such as class lists and lists of homeroom
advisers, faculty and staff members.
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e. LAYOUT SECTION EDITORS
They are assigned to cause the assignment of the school‘s official photographer to take
pictures on school‘s activities for the month or for a specified time. They prepare
pictorial articles of the organ on consultation with the managing editor and chief editor.
Sometimes, their job is to write the captions of pictures utilized by the paper in
cooperation with the chief editor.
f. LAYOUT ARTISTS
They take charge of designing and formatting of all pages in the paper. As such, they
label or properly identify all pictures made available for publication. It is suggested that
they write using pencil at the back of every picture of the event to which a particular
picture refers. They likewise help in the preparation of the layout of pictorial stories and
make illustrations for feature articles.
6. THE REPORTERS
The life of the contents depends of the skills of the reporters. They secure the cold and
raw facts of an assigned event and write articles out of the same. Moreover, they
receive assignments from the section editors or board of editors and then accomplish
the same properly and timely.
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Module 2: CAMPUS NEWS WRITING
PARTS OF CAMPUS PAPER
1. FRONT PAGE
Nameplate – The engraved or printed name of the newspaper
Ears – The little boxes on either side of the nameplate
Banner head– The principal headline bearing the boldest and biggest type.
Running Head – The running head is a type of head having two or more lines.
Headline – refers to any title of any news.
Deck – A subordinate headline placed immediately below its mother headline, also
known as bank or readout.
Lead – The beginning of a news story.
Column – they are horizontal divisions of the parts or texts if newspaper.
Column Rule – The vertical line that divides the page into columns.
Fold – The imaginary horizontal line that divides the newspaper equally into two parts
Byline – The signature of a reporter preceding a news-feature
Cut – the cut is a metal place bearing the newspaper‘s illustration.
Cutline – The text accompanying photos and other art work, better known as caption. If
written above the photo just like a slug line, it is called an over line.
Box line – any news material enclosed by line rules is a boxed story.
Over line – it is a type of cutline written or shown above the photo.
Kicker – a kicker is a tagline above but smaller than the headline.
Hammer – a hammer is a type of kicker but the difference is that a hammer is bigger
than the headline.
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Credit Line – a credit line is a line given to pay respect to the source of the story or
illustration printed.
2. NEWS PAGE
3. EDITORIAL PAGE
Editorial Proper – the article that is considered to be soul of a newspaper or magazine.
Column – is recurring piece or article of the paper.
Op-ed – abbreviation of opposite of the editorial page (through often believed to be
abbreviated from opinion-editorial).
Letter to editor – letter to editor sometimes abbreviated LTTE or LTE is a letter sent to a
publication about the issues of concern to its readers.
Editorial cartoon – also known as political cartoon is a caricature containing a political or
social message that usually relates to current events or personalities.
Folio – usually written on top of the pages, this is composed of the page number, date
of publication and name of the newspaper.
Masthead – this is also called flag. It shows the publication‘s name, the volume and
number of release, the names of the staff and their respective positions.
4. FEATURE PAGE
5. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PAGE
6. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PAGE
7. SPORTS PAGE
The sports section of a newspaper features information on local sports events like high
school sports team.
CHOOSING A TOPIC AND RESEARCHING
Choose a Topic: The first thing you must do before producing your news feature is to
choose a topic. This would be an event that you feel should be covered or an issue that
you would like to investigate. Make sure your story is not too broad. One way to help
narrow your focus is by answering the questions, why is this story important to the
audience you hope to reach? And why is this story important now? Be as specific as
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you can. If you were to pitch this story to a news program, the first thing the program
producer or news editor will want to know is why your topic is relevant.
Bear in mind, no story that is overtly racist, homophobic, Islamaphobic, anti-Semitic,
xenophobic or sexist will be produced via the Grassroots Media Project. We are
interested in stories that cover activities within DC‘s progressive movement and will give
priority to those that are specific to the Empower DC campaigns for quality education,
affordable housing, childcare for all and keeping public property in the hands of the
community. Additionally, you will be responsible for the information that is included in
your story. You must make sure that facts are accurate and the sources of any opinions
are clearly identified.
Get the Facts: Once you‘ve chosen your topic, start gathering information. What do you
know (or think you know) about the event or issue that you‘re covering in your news
feature? A news story, whether it‘s a simple wrap or something as complicated as an
audio documentary, includes the who, what, when, where and hopefully the why and
how of the issue or event being covered. Obviously, you‘ll need to know those things in
order to include them in your story. You will try to get all of that information from the
individuals you interview, but you should not assume that they will know the answers or
that they will give you accurate information. You may have to do some research to
answer even the most basic questions. If you‘re following up on a story sent to you via
press release then those answers are generally given to you. If you‘re not entirely
certain that your source is trustworthy, you may want to do research on your own,
especially when it comes to the harder questions of why and how. In either case, you
should research the position(s) of anyone with an opposing point of view. Getting the
facts, as both sides see them, will help to insure that your piece is balanced.
INTERVIEWING SOURCES AND RESEARCHING
The basics of preparing, conducting, and editing an interview; with special emphasis on
public officials and expert sources.
Interviews may be conversational, but they are not casual conversations. Organization
is essential, as is attention to detail and a firm will. The process also begins well before
you talk with the other person, be it face to face, on the telephone or over the Internet.
The intensity of your preparations may vary depending on the gravity and importance of
the interview.
The first thing to determine is your goals: Do you want to obtain specific information?
Even if you‘re working on a long-term project and are just interested in ―learning more,‖
do your best to determine what you‘d like to learn. Based on your goals, compile a list of
questions you‘d like to ask. They can be highly specific (―What were you doing at noon
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on June 12, 2003?‖) or general in nature (―Tell me about your work‖), as required. Err
on the side of more questions rather than fewer, and prioritize them as you go.
Ensure that your list also includes the most basic questions: Is the interview on the
record? Even if you know the subject‘s name (and presumably you do), you should
always ask and confirm the spelling; if appropriate, get the name of his or her
organization and title. If there‘s any other basic information you need for the article —
say, if it‘s on young entrepreneurs born in your state, you‘ll need to ask his or her
birthplace and age — make sure those questions are on the list.
Once you‘ve got your list of targeted questions ready, turn them into a list of general
topics that you will have in front of you for the interview. Ultimately, it‘s better to work
with a topics list rather than a series of carefully worded questions. You should strive to
create a natural, though purposeful, conversation.
Gather the tools of the trade: voice or video recorder (make sure it‘s fully charged and
tested; if you‘re really cautious, you can bring a backup unit), reporter‘s notebook, pen
or pencil (always carry a backup), laptop. If the interview is taking place in person and
you have business cards, bring some with you.
If you‘re having to deal with press officers or public relations people to arrange the
interview, they may ask you for a list of topics you want to cover. While you can give
them a general sense of topics, resist agreeing that you will stick only to those topics
and definitely don‘t send the questions you‘ve compiled. Reserve your right to ask any
question that you deem relevant during the interview itself.
Do not let anyone get you to agree to have quotations approved before they are used in
your story; it is not good journalistic practice and does not serve your audience in an
honest way. This has become a important ethical issue in contemporary American
journalism. For a sense of how such dynamics may play out, read ―Latest Word on the
Campaign Trail? I Take It Back,‖ in the New York Times.
Handling the Interview in News Gathering
The interview is the bedrock of information gathering in news writing. It is defined as the
process of ―dyadic, relational communication, with a predetermined and serious purpose
designed to interchange behavior involving the asking and answering of questions
(Soriano and Henson, 1995). The interview is purpose-driven. Its main aim is to
exchange ideas through question and answer style. Hence, the interviewer is the
person who asks questions, while the interviewee is the person who gives answers.
Key Points Explained:
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1. Dyadic denotes that the interview is a person-to-person interaction between two
parties.
2. Relational strongly suggests an interpersonal connection between interview parties.
3. Predetermined and serious purpose means that at least one of the two parties
comes to the interview with a goal and has planned the interview to focus on specific
subject matter.
4. Interchanging behavior connoted sharing of expectations, roles, feelings and
information.
5. Asking and answering questions (taken as a single process) is crucial to the
interviewing process; questions serve as tools to obtain information.
Stages in Interview
Here are some steps in conducting an interview using the formula known as the GOSS,
developed by Rue de Guilleland.
1. Know your GOAL or purpose.
2. Present OBSTACLE encountered.
3. Offer SOLUTIONS to these obstacles.
4. START writing the interview story.
Steps in Conducting the Interview
1. Define the purpose.
2. Conduct a background research of the topic you are assigned to.
3. Set an interview appointment.
4. Make a preliminary planning by listing down possible questions.
5. Meet the interviewee.
6. Get down to business. Ask the first question.
7. Establish early rapport, that is, from formal to less formal.
8. Tackle the more sensitive topic with respect and tactfulness.
9. Express some recovery statements.
10. Leave a thank you note.
Q&A Good Practices during the Interview
First off, regardless of the situation, state that you are a journalist. It is unethical to fool
or mislead people. You should also indicate that you are planning to publish or
broadcast material from the interview, even if you are freelance and don‘t yet know
where or how it will be published. (For student journalists, if you are going to put the
article anywhere — including a blog — you should explain that it may be seen publicly.)
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If at all possible, arrange to conduct the interview at the subject‘s home or workplace
(whichever is more appropriate). That places them in a target-rich environment, which
greatly increases the chances that you will be able to meet people and see things that
you would never get otherwise. In any case, find a quiet location to talk. Ask permission
to record the interview and be sure to mute your mobile phone, particularly if you‘re
using it as your recording device. Leave it up to the person you‘re interviewing to do the
same, however.
If you are recording the interview, remember that some people may not say as much on
tape — especially if it‘s the first time you‘ve sat down together. Also, public officials may
ask to be able to speak ―on background‖ (meaning you can use the information, but
without specific attribution) or even ―off the record‖ (information that cannot be used).
Establish the rules at the beginning of the interview. If you agree that an interview is all
on the record, do not let the subject declare afterwards that something is off the record.
At the same time, understand that you may be in a negotiation, and keep in mind what
best serves the public interest.
When the time comes to record, start your device and put it on the table closer to your
source than you (it‘s his or her words that are important, after all) but ideally in a
position that allows you to see the timer.
First get the basic information (name, title and so on), then begin your list of questions.
All people are different, of course, and some will talk without end while others barely
speak. It can help to start with open-ended questions (―So, tell me about your
childhood‖) rather than ones to which the subject can give a yes/no answer (―Was your
childhood happy?‖). Allowing your subject to talk a length early can help put them at
ease and open up mutual communication.
As things continue, remember that as a journalist, it‘s your job to control the flow of the
interview, asking the questions and keeping things on track. That doesn‘t mean you
can‘t let the topic of discussion move in unexpected ways — indeed, this can
sometimes be to your advantage — but make sure you get what you came for. If an
important question is sidestepped, ask again. If the interviewee seems to become angry
or upset, stay calm and ask the question in another way. If responses go off track or go
on too long, gently steer the subject back in the right direction. Be polite and respectful,
but also firm.
As the interview proceeds, take careful notes, but don‘t allow it to become distracting. If
something is said of particular interest, it‘s helpful to jot down the time in the interview
when it occurred — this will greatly speed finding and verifying the quote after the fact. If
your source mentions the name of a person, organization or place, ask for confirmation
of the spelling.
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At the conclusion of the interview, thank the interviewee for his or her time and ask if
you can be in contact again if there are additional questions; ask for a cell phone
number and direct email if you don‘t already have them, as they can provide a quicker
path to a response. Also ask for access to photos and any other documents or objects
that have come up. It will be much harder to do this hours or days later.
Maximizing Your Material
Now that you have the interview, what you do with it depends on how it‘s going to be
used. If you only need a few quotes, you can jump to those points in the recording
based on the times you jotted down. If you‘re doing an extended printed Q&A — your
questions and their responses — it‘s best to do a complete transcription and edit that
down (of course making clear to your audience if it has been edited for brevity and
clarity.)
In editing the interview, remember that people rarely speak in perfect, well-formed
sentences. There will be many an ―uh‖ and ―ah‖ that can be safely omitted, assuming
that this does not distort meaning. While you can trim the beginning or end of responses
without having to indicate with ellipses, if you cut out a sentence or phrase in the
middle, they should be used. Similarly, if you insert text for clarity, use brackets.
Extensive information on the use of punctuation in quotes is available in The Chicago
Manual of Style.
If you have interviewed a public official, do not, under any circumstances, allow him or
her to modify answers that are already on the record. But some reporters will read back
sections of stories and ask if there‘s anything he or she might like to add. However, it‘s
a reporter‘s role to decide whether or not to use additional information, not the person
interviewed. When dealing with private citizens, take particular care in cases where
identities, locations and other identifying elements may be sensitive and could expose
persons to danger or unneeded distress. Use your judgment about how a sensitive
quotation from a private citizen — particularly those who have no media sophistication
— needs to be used, and what information and context best serves the public interest.
Thinking Special Cases: The Need for More Homework
If the interviewee is someone whom you are seeking out because of his or her particular
position or authoritative knowledge of a situation (the deputy transportation
commissioner, the CFO of a company, etc.), you need to put in sufficient time
researching previous news articles written about that person and other relevant
background. Come informed — in many ways, a journalist is the one person in the
community who represents only the public interest and whose job it is to give voice to
collective concerns. It may be the only time an official has to be accountable for certain
things, and it is in this way that journalists play a special role — with special
responsibilities and burdens — in a democracy.
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Another special case are experts whose views you seek to deepen a story. The same
rule applies there: Prepare, prepare, prepare. The following are key things to keep in
mind for these two special classes of sources:
Academics and Experts
For research experts, don‘t just show up or call to ―get a quote‖; do enough reading of
his or her materials that you show respect and can speak a little of the expert‘s
professional language. Don‘t waste someone‘s time with factual questions that you
should really know yourself. An example of a sub-par question would be asking a
political scientist: ―How many electoral votes does our state have?‖ An example of a
good question might be: ―What factors might influence the vote in our state?‖ That
doesn‘t mean you can‘t ask simple, direct questions; just ensure they aren‘t things you
could learn on your own perfectly easily.
Though it is not good professional practice to give questions in advance to sources such
as public officials, with experts you may want to email some general questions before
speaking on the phone or in person. Help them educate you. Most experts‘ Web pages
feature links to their work; for academics, also search Google Scholar and other
databases. Try to read any primary articles and research he or she has authored (at
least be familiar with the subjects and extent) that directly relate to your subject of
interest. For academic papers, try to at least read the introduction and conclusion, even
if the methods section is heavily statistical. Know that most papers, at their root, are
simply trying to figure out the logical relationship between several variables and test a
hypothesis — try not to be intimidated. If the research is what you‘re interested in, email
other academics cited in the paper and ask them what they think of the findings.
Greg Ip, the U.S. economics editor at The Economist, has this to say about interacting
with experts: ―If I don‘t have a lot of experience in the area, I‘ll ask, ‗Can you point me to
some other things so I can get a better grounding before we can begin the interview?‘ I
find that academics are incredibly helpful and patient; they like to talk about their work,
because they‘re excited by it and publicity is usually good…. [But] one thing that I have
learned about academics is that — even when they are not partisan or biased in the
direction the research goes — I think it‘s the nature of the discipline that academia
rewards people who develop very strong views on often narrow subjects.‖
Remember that many experts can be skeptical of journalists because of the media‘s
general tendency to oversimplify. Show them you know the subject matter and care
enough to read in depth. By doing so, you may earn a trusted source who can help you
in the future. You will almost certainly get better answers and fresh angles for further
stories.
Public Officials and Newsmakers
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When interviewing public officials and people in the news, know the job that he or she
does — what their powers, limits and constraints are. Also come to the interview with a
sense of his or her agenda. Is the person simply a good public servant? Running for
higher office? Wants to clear the record on some specific point? Good interviews with
public officials are directed but conversational. Remember, too, that one reason people
want to have a conversation with a reporter is to learn things they may not know. As a
reporter, you talk to people in the community that officials and newsmakers don‘t. Many
good interviews involve a two-way exchange in which both parties learn something.
Don‘t give up your professional objectivity, but recognize that you are dealing with
human beings who are often just as curious as you are.
Above all, educate yourself so that you do not walk into an interview unaware of some
previous controversial public issue or high-profile accomplishment or failure that serves
as important context. Once an official realizes your ignorance, it would be very easy for
him or her to sidestep questions or give easy answers, if that‘s what he or she wants to
do. You may want to do some advance background interviews with others — especially
those who may disagree with your primary interview subject — about key areas of
concern.
Review related coverage in your own publication‘s archives and those of other sources.
Also dig through Lexis-Nexis or Factiva; each differs in the kinds of articles and
transcripts available, so try them all. If you need to search historical news, a good
choice is ProQuest. If you don‘t have access to these, contact your local libraries and
ask for access to similar databases, such as those through NewsBank. Note that a
Google News search only yields recent articles; to see older related content, go to the
drop-down menu on the right of the the search bar, and select ―in archive‖ for the ―Date
added to Google News‖ option.
High-level persons typically have limited time in their schedule, so you‘ll want to plan
your interview questions very carefully. Remember that you can ask for things to be put
on the record at the end of the interview or later on; and you can always ask if there is
another way you can confirm information, such as a public record that says the same
thing. As mentioned, some of the most useful things that you can come away with are
documents, so ask if there are reports, spreadsheets, papers, transcripts, etc. that you
can take or photocopy that might help your story. In the heat of an interview, it is not
always easy to figure out what is important; but documents can be analyzed and studied
afterward, when you have time to think.
If you are planning to ask difficult and uncomfortable questions, structure your questions
so that the tougher ones come last, knowing that, sometimes, you may be asked to
leave. And prepare to follow up even if things get tense. Maintain your composure.
Frame the question so that it does not become a debate and consider triangulating so it
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does not become personal: For example, use the phrasing ―Your critics have said…
What do you say?‖
Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Ron Suskind advises reporters about
interviews as follows: ―Be honest; and always say, ‗Please explain this to me in words
so I can understand it.‘ People live inside a lexicon. Lexicons often carry with them
judgments. We‘re very tribal…. Tribes develop language, and I am always wary of that.
When I say, ‗Explain that to me in terms I can understand,‘ then sources start to get
more fundamental and elemental.‖
Sources of News
One should bear in mind that facts are the main foundations of news articles. Hence, a
writer or journalist must have a high sense of smelling ability to newsworthy issues. This
special ability is dubbed as ―nose for news‖ in journalism parlance. To be able to do so,
a journalist must know the avenues where he can gather data for his news articles.
1. BEAT
The beat is the stable assignment of the reporter. For instance in a school setting,
the chief editor or the adviser is identifying assignments for the writers. Jane, a news
writer is assigned to gather news from the student body. Jane‘s beat is the student
council only; thus, what she concentrates on is only issues about the student body.
Being confines to only one assignment, the reporter achieves a sense of time
management and a chance to get through all the perspectives of the news. This will
also diminish hodgepodge ideas of the writer, especially a student journalist.
2. WRITTEN AND PRINTED DOCUMENTS
A good journalist is resourceful in looking for newsworthy issues. One of his/her sets
of sources includes public documents – either electronically or physically posted. For
example, if he/she is gathering data for the newly imposed rules on wearing the
prescribed uniform, he/she ,ay look into the minutes of the meeting of the resolution
where such rules are inscribed.
3. OBSERVATION
This may be done through a keen empirical observation. It exists as a writer bears
witness using the physical senses to what is happening in the local communities. In
the context of school papers, a writer must be wary of the places and goings-on in
the campus. These may be activities that are not visible to the eyes of the many.
4. TIPS FROM CO-WRITERS, TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
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5. GANTT CHART OF SCHEDULE OR CALENDAE OF ACTIVITIES
6. INTERVIEWING KEY INFORMANTS
This is the gathering of information person-to-person bases, straight from the
experts or any resource person as a credible source.
7. BLOGS
They represent another source of news, free from traditional economic, corporate,
political, or advertising considerations. There are blogs devoted to all sorts of topics.
Blogs offer alternative points of view to traditional media. Blogs provide an additional
outlet for reporters to explain why they reported a story in the way they did.
8. CITIZEN JOURNALISM
In citizen journalism, ordinary citizens become amateur reporters. This trend is
facilitated by digital and cell phone video cameras and high speed internet access.
Traditional news media encourage citizen journalism, and many media outlets ask
audience members to submit photos and video clips. Citizen journalism is popular
with the mainstream news media in part because it is free content, but it also
empowers the audience.
9. HYPERLOCAL NEWS
This is the news referring to news coverage for a very small community. It can be a
single zip code or interest group in a defined geographic area. Most hyperlocal news
appears on web sites. Publishers of hyperlocal news hope that the extremely local
focus and the coverage of topics ignored by the traditional media will draw in people
who generally do not consume news. Twitter and Facebook have examples of
hyperlocal news, and visitors can find news of interest to them and their close circle
of friends.
Rules of Thumb in News Gathering
A writer must not only have the nose for news, but also considers the guidelines in
gathering data. Ramirez (2009) has published some of these rules of thumb in data
gathering for news writing.
1. SEE FOR YOURSELF. Nothing is more vivid when one sees the event right before
his own eyes. Becoming the first-hand witness, other than gathering through
hearsay, keeps the spontaneity of ideas of the writer.
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2. FIND THE PERSON WHO KNOWS. The writer should go directly to the person who
is considered as the key participant of the issue. Such a person may give the writer
a sense of confidence that what he/she will write is taken from the statements and
ideas of the persons, rather than surmising the ideas, effects and impact of an issue.
Further, this act champions objectivity, thus diminishing bias.
3. COMPARE ALL VERSIONS. A writer must not rely solely on one version. One
should set myriads of perspectives, so as to limit the holes of biases. Moreover, feel
free to question inconsistencies and ensure the veracity of each statement or
information.
4. BE TACTFUL AND COURTEOUS. A writer is respectful of time. Hence, he should
focus only on the data needed. He should avoid spending the time of the interviewee
on futile topics. Courtesy is likewise seen in acts and words of the writer who gathers
data. More often than not, saying thank you is good gesture to pay the interviewee
the bother fee incurred.
5. MAKE AND KEEP FRIENDS. Dependable informants are most valued assets,
especially when a writer is assigned in a single beat throughout the academic year.
When needed, give them favorable mention in your stories. Never break their trust in
the name of having a good scoop of the news.
PRINT IT. This rule of thumb reminds a writer or a journalist that unpublished news is
wasted. The fact that one has gathered data, the news is now considered a news
worthy item.
PRINT MEDIA: FROM TOPIC TO ARTICLE
Print media, as you know is one of them. Print media is one of the oldest and basic
forms of mass communication. It includes newspapers, weeklies, magazines, monthlies
and other forms of printed journals.
A basic understanding of the print media is essential in the study of mass
communication. The contribution of print media in providing information and transfer of
knowledge is remarkable. Even after the advent of electronic media, the print media has
not lost its charm or relevance. Print media has the advantage of making a longer
impact on the minds of the reader, with more in-depth reporting and analysis.
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Print media generally refers to newspapers. Newspapers collect, edit and print news
reports and articles. There are newspapers published in the evening also. They are
called eveningers.
You must have seen such columns in newpapers. They give you such information. So
you are reading the paper for information also. Thus newspapers play a very important
role in our daily life. We read the newspaper for :
 news
 entertainment
 information
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PRINT MEDIA AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA
After the advent of printing nearly six centuries ago, the print media was the only form of
mass communication. Then, came the electronic medium. Though both print and
electronic media deal with mass communication, there are certain basic differences.
PRINT MEDIA
ELECTRONIC MEDIA
Literacy is a basic requirement for the print Even an illiterate person can watch a news
media. Only a literate person can read it.
bulletin and grasp its contents though the
written matter on the screen cannot be
read.
Print media works according to a deadline. There is no deadline for the electronic
Usually a morning paper carries news media. News can be updated anytime.
received up to the midnight of the previous
day.
In print media readers have the choice to Viewers cannot go back and recheck what
go back and recheck. What they have they have seen.
read.
Print media provides more scope for in- Less scope for such long in-depth
depth analysis of events.
analysis.
Print media does not provide scope for a Live discussions are possible.
live discussion.
Language is more literary and flowery and Language used is spoken and more
reader-friendly.
viewer-friendly.
Frequent update of news is not possible.
Even a minute-to-minute update is
possible.
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ASSESSMENT 1: PRODUCING A PITCH STORY
The intent of this activity is for you to be able to demonstrate proficiency in producing a
story pitch in video.
Complete this task by the end of the week (by Friday, September 24, 2021, 11:59 p.m.)
Output: You shall produce a story pitch in video format. In making this output, they are
required to apply strategies in choosing and researching while using ICT tools and to
demonstrate caring attitude and social responsibility consideration. The video must
showcase Relevance of Chosen News to Society, Confidence in Presenting News
Pitch, Elements of News Present, Use of Technology, and Language Mechanics.
Your output will be rated according to the following criteria.
News
Content &
Format
Presentation
of Story
Oral
Speaking
Strategies
Length of
News Story
Above Expectations
(9-10)
Story contains ample
details about a
particular event that
took place. The viewer
is left with an excellent
understanding of the
event.
The material is
presented in such a
way that the student
appears to really
understand and know
the information they
are relating to the
viewer. It is obvious
that time was spent
rehearsing and editing
the video clip.
Student can identify in
detail what strategies
they found most
helpful before, during,
and after listening and
speaking and what
steps they can take to
improve their oral
communication skills.
More than one minute.
Meets Expectations
(7-8)
Story contains a lot of
details about a
particular event that
took place. The viewer
has a very good
understanding of the
event, but is still left
with a few questions.
The student appears to
have a pretty good
understanding of the
information they are
relating to the viewer. A
little more practice and
rehearsal would have
made the presentation
completely polished.
The students made a
good effort at editing
the video.
Student can identify
what strategies they
found most helpful
before, during, and after
listening and speaking
and what steps they
can take to improve
their oral
communication skills.
Approaching
Expectations (5-6)
Story contains some
details about a
particular event. The
viewer is given enough
information to simply
know about the event,
but is left with a lot of
unanswered questions.
The student appears to
have some knowledge
of the event, but seems
to be searching for
more information to
relay to the viewer.
More time rehearsing
would have
dramatically improved
this presentation. Some
editing of the video is
obvious.
Student can sometimes
identify what strategies
they found most helpful
before, during, and
after listening and
speaking and what
steps they can take to
improve their oral
communication skills.
Between 45 sec and 1
minute.
Between 30 to 45
seconds.
Below Expectations
(1-4)
Story contains few
details about a
particular event. The
viewer is left with little
information about the
event and has many
unanswered
questions.
The student appears
to have little
understanding of the
events they are
describing to the
viewer. Very little time
and rehearsal were
put into this
presentation. Little to
no time was spent
editing the footage.
Student cannot
identify what
strategies they found
most helpful before,
during, and after
listening and speaking
and what steps they
can take to improve
their oral
communication skills.
Less than 30 seconds
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