newsroom
Newspaper roles
Editorial
Editor
responsible for overall content of the paper,
makes sure everything runs to plan and has the
final say on what appears in the paper.
News editor
a senior journalist, in charge of a team of
journalists and a section of the paper, who
decides what stories should be covered. News
editors look at the stories coming in and
decide which ones to follow up.
Reporter
obtains information and writes stories. May
cover all types of stories or may be a
specialist who is concerned with a specific
area of the news, such as sport or crime.
Photographer
takes pictures needed for each edition.
Usually managed by a chief photographer and
report to the picture editor.
Layout sub editor
designs pages (deciding how best to present
stories, photographs, etc), sends the stories
and headlines to the copy subs, then outputs
the completed pages to the print sites.
Copy sub editor
edits stories for style and sense, cuts them
to fit the page, and writes the headlines and
captions.
Revise sub editor
subs.
checks and improves the work of the copy
Picture editor
commissions freelance and staff photographers
and selects the best pictures for stories.
Features editor
responsible for articles that take a more indepth look at issues.
Designer
designs layouts that are attractive and
accessible to the reader while maintaining the
look and identity of the newspaper.
Graphic artist
produces informative graphics, charts, maps
and diagrams to help explain a story visually.
Imaging operative
scans or digitises prints and slides in
preparation for the printing process.
Commercial
Advertising manager
has overall responsibility for all advertising
within the newspaper. There are two main
types of adverts: display adverts - for
products, with photographs and graphics,
placed by business and classified adverts –
smaller adverts in columns, covering jobs,
courses, holidays and announcements.
newsroom
Marketing manager
responsible for the marketing and advertising
of the paper to the general public to increase
sales.
Print manager
controls the production of copies of the paper
at the print site.
Distribution manager
makes sure that the papers go out to news
vendors and customers.
Newspaper writing
The Five Ws of Journalism
In a news report, the opening paragraph or sentences are the most
important in establishing a summary of the whole story, encouraging
the reader to find out more. In this way they differ from narrative
stories, which tend to start by introducing the setting and
characters, developing a chronology of events until the end, when
the outcome is revealed. The opening paragraph of a news report
usually answers the following questions, which are termed the five
Ws of journalism. These are:





What happened?
Who is the story about?
Why did it happen?
Where did the story happen?
When did the story take place?
Journalism tends to reverse narrative writing (inverted pyramid). It
is top heavy with information. This is because most readers skim the
news and read just two or three paragraphs unless they are
interested. Also, news stories are cut from the bottom if too long
so it is important that the key information is established at the
beginning.
The traditional
story
Writing a news
report
Telling a story
Delayed drop
One type of introduction in journalistic writing that does not
follow the five Ws rule is the delayed drop. In this type of writing
the substance of the story is deliberately kept from the reader to
create a feeling of suspense. It can be used in atmospheric stories
newsroom
in which the effect depends on how the facts are presented, in human
interest stories where a profile of a person is being built up, or
in humorous ones.
The delayed drop is used a lot in feature
writing.
Feature writing
Features tend to be subjective and reflective articles in
newspapers. They contain material such as comment, in-depth analysis
of people and events, opinion, advice or assessment.
A lot of
feature articles tend to be placed in pre-selected parts of the
paper, such as the analysis and leader pages or in separate
supplements or magazines, such as the Guardian’s G2, themed
supplements and Weekend magazine and the Observer’s Review sections
and OM.
Typographical terms
Masthead title piece
Edition
the newspaper’s title displayed on the front
page.
the Guardian normally prints five editions
(versions
with some changes and
additional late stories) every
night. A
system of stars indicates which edition it is.
Teaser
Solus advert
this is an information panel on the front page
that tells the reader about other stories in
the paper to tempt them inside.
this is a stand-alone advert in a very
prominent and
effective position on the front
page, usually in colour.
Index
and easily.
this helps the reader to find items quickly
Headline
a phrase that summarises the main point of the
article. Headlines are in large print and
different style in order to catch the
attention of the reader.
Standfirst
block of text that introduces the story,
normally in a style different to the body text
and headline.
newsroom
Byline
Body text
article rather
captions.
the line above the story, which gives the
author’s name and sometimes their job and
location.
text that makes up the main body of an
than headlines, standfirst and
Photograph
helps make the page look more interesting, it
can add understanding of a story and/or entice
someone to read the article.
Caption
graphic.
a brief description of a photograph or
Sidebar
this is a panel or box on a page containing
graphics or other information about an
article.
It is eye-catching and breaks the story up
into different elements.
Font
style and size of type face.
Copy
written material to be published.
newsroom
Types of stories
Journalists separate stories into types depending on their length or
their position on the page. Some of these are:
Lead story/splash
It is
the most important news story of the day.
supported by the main headline and sometimes
the
main photograph.
Basement story/piece
often be
story at the bottom of the page which can
quirky or amusing.
Page lead
longest
main story on a newspaper page.
Usually the
story on that page with the biggest headline.
Support
usually the second longest story on a page
supporting the main story.
Shorts
length.
stories between three and eight paragraphs in
Fills
stories of no more than one or two paragraphs
used to fill a page.
NIB
stands for news in brief. One or two
paragraph stories which only give basic facts.
Often arranged in a list with small headlines.
NAG
summaries
stands for news at a glance. Short news
giving the main points of a story.
Features
contain
subjective and reflective articles.
They
material such as in-depth analysis of people
and
events,
opinion, advice or assessment.
Leader
main editorial column where the opinion of the
newspaper is expressed on leading/main news
stories.
Op ed/facing page
faces/opposite the leader page, carries
columns and letters.
newsroom
Careers in journalism
Journalism is a highly rewarding career, one in which you can go to
work every day and not know what challenges may face you. It is
highly competitive; there are many more people who want to be
journalists than possibly ever could be. Under 1,000 people enter
journalism each year.
Qualities of a journalist
There are certain qualities which editors look for in a would-be
reporter:







an interest in current affairs
a lively interest in people, places and events
an ability to write, to gather facts, sift through them and
present them in an easily comprehensible way
good spelling, grammar and punctuation
an appreciation of the part newspapers play in the community and
society
a willingness to accept irregular hours and an ability to work
under pressure to meet deadlines
determination and persistence
How to get into journalism?
newsroom
Trainees come into the industry in a variety of ways.
Some are
recruited directly by regional or local newspapers and carry out
basic training under the terms of a contract.
This is known as
direct entry.
Most trainees are recruited after attending
vocational education and training courses for post A-level students
and graduates.
Such courses are generally held at colleges
accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists.
Some of these courses are for graduates only. This route is known
as pre-entry. The Scott Trust, owners of the Guardian Media Group,
sponsors six bursary placements for a postgraduate diploma in
newspaper journalism.
Would-be journalists should develop a portfolio of published work
(cuttings). A good way to get cuttings is to do reporting for
student newspapers. Some colleges will only grant places to people
on pre-entry courses if they have already been on a brief work
experience placement at a newspaper.
It is important to get some
idea of what the job entails by shadowing reporters and seeing how a
paper is put together.
Guardian Newspapers Ltd recruits qualified journalists with at least
three years’ relevant experience.
Many of our journalists have
gained experience in the regional press prior to joining.
Emily
Bell (from 1995 - media business editor of the Observer, from 2000 editor in chief of Guardian Unlimited) studied Law at university
before moving into journalism.
“My first job was at Big Farm Weekly as a trainee reporter, which
sounds as unglamorous as you can get. But in fact it was great – on
a small trade mag dealing with large business and environmental
issues I had a real range of subjects to tackle. I might spend the
morning in a ministerial briefing and the afternoon up to my knees
in manure asking a dairy farmer about BSE.”
newsroom
Useful organisations to contact
National Union of Journalists
The NUJ is the world’s largest journalists’ union with over 30,000 members in
England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
Their address is:
Headland House
308-312 Gray’s Inn Road
London WC1X 8DP
Tel: 0207 2787916
Fax: 0207 8378143
www.nuj.org.uk
National Council for the Training of Journalists
The National Council for the Training of Journalists was founded in 1951 to
administer training for the UK newspaper industry.
The NCTJ offers basic
journalism training through its colleges/universities and by distance learning.
Short mid-term courses are also available for journalists wishing to progress their
careers.
Latton Bush Centre
Southern Way, Harlow
Essex CM18 7BL
Tel: 01279 430009
Fax: 01279 438008
Email: Info@NCTJ.com
www.nctj.com
The Newspaper Society
The Newspaper Society, founded in 1836, is the voice of Britain’s regional press.
It represents and promotes the interests of over 1,300 regional and local, daily
and weekly, paid-for and free titles.
Bloomsbury House
74-77 Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DA
Tel: 0207 6367014
Fax: 0207 6315119
www.newspapersoc.org.uk
Scott Trust Bursary
The Scott Trust, owners of the Guardian Media Group, sponsors six bursary
placements for a postgraduate diploma in newspaper journalism (this is a nine-month
course, which runs from September to June and includes work experience;
applications close in the February).
The bursaries pay course fees and give a
£4,000 grant towards subsistence expenses.
Work placements are decided by the
course tutor and most are held with Guardian Media Group’s regional newspapers,
though there is no offer of employment attached to the Bursary.
The post-graduate
diploma is offered at both of the following universities and may be contacted for
further information regarding the Scott Trust Bursaries:
Department of Journalism
City University
Northampton Square
London EC1V 0HB
or:
Department of Journalism
University of Central Lancashire
Lancashire
Preston PR1 2HE
newsroom
The History of the Observer
The Observer is Britain’s oldest Sunday newspaper and was first
published on Sunday December 4 1791. Its founder, WS Bourne, promised
that the Observer would provide “the contemplation of wisdom”.
In 1812 Observer journalist Vincent George Dowling witnessed the murder
of prime minister Spencer Perceval and helped to apprehend the
murderer.
William Innell Clement purchased the newspaper in 1814.
One of
Clement’s innovations involved the use of wood-cut illustrations.
A
“special illustrated issue” of the Observer was produced to celebrate
the wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert on February 10 1840.
“The cost of
which was of
which is made
for more than
the lace alone on the Queen’s dress was £1,000. The satin,
a pure white, was manufactured in Spitalfields. The veil,
to correspond, afforded employment to the poor lace-workers
six weeks.”
During the American civil war (1861-1865), the Observer supported the
North American cause. Many people disagreed and circulation suffered.
Julius Beer bought the Observer in 1870 and on his death in 1880
ownership of the newspaper passed to his son, Frederick.
His wife,
Rachel, bought the Times in 1893 and from 1891 to 1904 she edited both
newspapers.
Circulation was less than 5,000 when Alfred Harmsworth - later Lord
Northcliffe - bought the Observer in 1905.
In 1908, Northcliffe
appointed James Louis Garvin as editor.
By 1909 circulation had
increased to 40,000. In 1911, the Astor family purchased the paper. As
editor, Garvin proved to be a man of influence and insight. In 1919,
following the end of the first world war, he wrote a famous editorial
against the Treaty of Versailles:
“The Treaty ... scatters Dragon’s teeth across the soil of Europe. They
will spring up as armed men unless the mischief is eradicated...
The
root-vice of the whole Treaty is that it leaves the German race no real
hope except in revenge – no matter how long the revenge may have to be
deferred.”
In 1942 David Astor took over as editor and began to modernise the
paper. He replaced the advertisements that had been on the front page
since 1791 with news and photographs.
The Observer criticised the British government’s actions during the
Suez crisis in 1956: “We had not realised that our government was
capable of such folly and such crookedness”.
Again, many readers did
not agree with the Observer’s viewpoint and circulation suffered.
Between 1977 and 1981, the Observer was owned by Atlantic Richfield,
and from 1981 to 1993 by Lonhro.
Its owner ‘Tiny’ Rowland, had a
bitter battle with the Fayed brothers for the ownership of Harrods.
When the government published a report criticising Fayed’s conduct,
details of the report were printed in a special midweek Observer.
newsroom
In 1993 Guardian Media Group bought the Observer from Lonhro.
One
hundred members of Parliament signed a petition in support of the
Guardian bid — the under-bidder was the Independent which would have
merged it with the Independent on Sunday.
In June 2002 the Newsroom, Guardian and Observer Archive and Visitor
Centre, was opened to protect and promote the histories of the
newspapers through educational programmes, exhibitions and research.
“The Observer is Britain’s oldest Sunday newspaper and it has
been making mischief, poking its nose where it shouldn’t and
reporting the best in arts, culture, politics, sport, business
and skulduggery for over two hundred years. We aim to keep it
that way and maintain its position as Britain’s most exciting
Sunday newspaper.”
Roger Alton, editor of the Observer from 1998
newsroom
The History of the Guardian
In 1819, the volunteer Yeoman cavalry charged at a peaceful
demonstration in support of political representation for Manchester.
Eleven people were killed and hundreds injured.
The Peterloo
massacre, as it became known, was witnessed by John Edward Taylor, a
cotton trader and newspaper reporter. His reports of the event were
openly critical of “official” accounts. Two years later he founded the
Manchester Guardian “in the liberal interest” - the first edition
appeared on May 5, 1821.
At first the Guardian was published weekly at a price of 7d (equal to
£1.49 today). In 1855 stamp duty on newspapers was abolished and the
Guardian was produced daily at a price of 2d.
In 1872 Charles Prestwich Scott was appointed editor of the Guardian, a
post he occupied for the following 57 years. His beliefs influenced
the development of the paper. For the 1921 centenary he wrote:
“Comment is free. Facts are sacred... The voice of opponents no less
than that of friends has a right to be heard.”
Through the Guardian, CP Scott championed many issues, some of which
were unpopular. These included the right of women to vote and the
creation of a Jewish homeland — Israel. In 1910 Emmeline Pankhurst,
founder of the Women’s Social and Political Union, wrote to C P Scott
seeking his support:
“You perhaps more than any single man outside the Cabinet have the
power to bring this dreadful struggle to an end.”
When John Scott inherited the Guardian in 1936, he realised that
future of the Guardian would be threatened by inheritance tax on
death and therefore he transferred the ownership of the Guardian
trust. To this day, the Scott Trust ensures the independence of
Guardian and fosters the principles that CP Scott established.
the
his
to a
the
In 1956, the Guardian, unlike most of the British press, criticised the
British
government’s
military
action
during
the
Suez
crisis.
Circulation increased by 10%.
In 1959, Manchester was dropped from the masthead to reflect the
increasingly national and international character of the paper.
Throughout the 1960s the Guardian was radically overhauled. A second
printing works was opened in London; a financial crisis was averted; the
paper was extended and redesigned; and core advertising markets were
developed. Today, the Guardian carries more recruitment advertising than
all of the other British broadsheets combined.
In 1997, the Guardian was the first British national newspaper to
appoint a readers’ editor.
Each day in a special column, the readers’
editor corrects and clarifies things that were wrong or unclear.
The Guardian’s investigation into conservative MP Neil Hamilton won the
1997 Team Reporting Award at the British Press Awards. The Guardian
was named Newspaper of the Year in 1997, 1998 and 1999.
newsroom
The modern look of today’s Guardian was initiated in 1988 when the
newspaper was split into two sections and a new masthead introduced.
The Guardian Unlimited websites were launched in January 1999 and by
March 2001 GU had become the most popular UK newspaper website.
The Guardian’s writing following the terrorist attacks on America of
September 11 2001 was commended by Guardian readers and won awards from
the press industry.
"As a New Yorker for the past 30 years, I wanted to thank your many
fine reporters and columnists from the bottom of my broken heart for
continuing to provide exceptional coverage and commentary of the
calamity that has befallen us. ... by verbalising my rage you show me
how to contain it in order to preserve my sanity. I want more, more. "
Letter to the editor, September 2001
The Newsroom, Guardian and Observer Archive and Visitor Centre opened in June 2002. The
Centre preserves and promotes the histories and values of the newspapers through educational
programmes, exhibitions and research.