Print Journalism Competencies
Interviewing
Competency
Behavioural description
Planning
Research background of interviewee and issues related to
the interview
Use background information to plot questions and discussion
points to fit allotted amount of interview time
Identify yourself to interviewees so they know you are a
journalist. Create and maintain good rapport to maximise
prospects of a successful interview
Pursue unexpected topics raised by the interviewee if they
are relevant, even if these are not part of the interview plan
Able to use direct or indirect, soft or aggressive questioning
methods and decide early in the interview which to use
Represent readers by asking questions that anticipate what
they would like to know
Listen closely to answers to ensure effective interaction with
the interviewee. If interviewee produces detailed statistics
and figures, write them down carefully. Ensure that direct
quotes are accurate
Preparation
Building rapport
Flexibility
Questioning
technique
Understanding the
readership
Listening
Information Sourcing
Competency
Behavioural description
Listening
Observing
Stay open. Many stories come from hearing what people say
Be alert. Some of the best stories come from noticing
something new, unusual or taken for granted by other people
Build a large network of contacts. A tip or a leak (disclosure)
may come from a person you mix with who knows something
that is not common knowledge
Proactively seek information. Stories may come from
reading, thinking about where to get more information,
considering who to talk to
Follow up another news story by pursuing a different angle,
digging deeper, going to a related source or examines a local
element to a story
Use your imagination. If you have an idea about something
you think is news, ask questions to find out as much as
possible
Networking
Research
Leveraging
Curiosity
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News Gathering [Reporting]
Competency
Behavioural description
Understanding
news types
Know how different types of news can be used. Hard news immediate or breaking story. Soft news - A non-urgent story
that can wait for publication. Feature - In-depth story. Profile
- Explores a person in the news. Backgrounder - A story
providing additional information on a news event
Be responsive. Much news is hard news – based on events
that have just occurred or are still happening [breaking
news]
Real people provide the essence of a good story and provide
information, anecdotes and quotes. Unexpected information
that takes a story in a different direction. Always identify
who you are and that you are a reporter before beginning an
interview. Ask permission and inform the source if you want
to publish something they say
Focus on facts, not opinion. Credible sources. Understand
how statistics work. Fairness in news coverage. Critical
thinking applied to news events and information
Rapid reaction
Interviewing skills
Reporting skills
News Writing
Competency
Behavioural description
News sense
Understand concepts of impact, immediacy, newsworthiness
and perishability of news. Newsworthiness - decide what is
relevant to readers by thinking about their needs
Know the three sections of an article: the lead (first
paragraph); the body (main part of story); the ending (final
pithy paragraph). Structure often referred to as an inverted
pyramid because the main, and most important, point is
contained in the first sentence. The rest of the story contains
elements of less importance
The most important part of a news story. In a single
paragraph, write the lead to summarise the basic facts of a
story and catch the reader's attention. Simple rule about
news leads, the 5 W's - Who? What? Where? When? Why?
The main idea of a news story that the rest of the story will
support. Also referred to as the hook because it is used to
grab the reader's attention. Sort through the facts that were
gathered from the reporting and determine the theme. To
find a compelling angle, think about SIN – material that is
Significant, Interesting and New
Write the body to support the lead and organise in the
inverted pyramid style in declining importance. After the
lead, a story may have a theme paragraph that spells out the
theme or sub-themes. Story then proceeds with sections that
explore the theme and sub-themes in more detail, and in
order. Support with background facts and relevant quotes.
Story should proceed in a logical way. Outlining the story
with bullet points can help provide a logical structure. Ensure
the story flows – that the string of ideas and sub-themes is
connected by writing transitions
Story organisation
Writing the lead
Deciding the
angle
Crafting the body
of a story
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Writing the ending
Headline writing
Know the different ways to end your article. Inverted
pyramid stories don't need a strong ending since they finish
when there is nothing more to say. Other kinds of news
stories (eg. the hourglass structure) need a good ending.
One way to end is with a kicker, which is a catchy quote or a
bizarre twist. Another effective ending is to conclude with a
quote or anecdote that relates the story back to the main
theme and leaves the reader thinking about the essence of
the story. Avoid preaching or lecturing at the end of the
story
Know how to use headlines to: express the main idea of the
story; effectively identify content; create reader interest;
move readers into the story; be a good fit with the lead; use
short, common, colourful, powerful words
Deadline Writing
Competency
Behavioural description
Developing the
lead
While reporting an event, consider at each point what the
potential lead might look like. Mentally compose the lead and
the first few paragraphs. If you don’t have a good lead but
know in general what you want to say, to save time move on
to the body of the story and go back to the lead later. Keep
rewriting the lead until the last minute
Assemble the story in your head even as you're reporting it.
Report every detail you can, you never know what might
come in useful. Revise as you go – read and revise the story
as often as you can
Avoid freezing on deadline by starting typing even if you’re
not sure where the story will go. The act of typing will free
you up
Tell a colleague what you’re writing. It can force you to distil
the main point of the story
Make a quick list of the highlights of the story, so as not to
miss any. Do a quick outline to make sure the story flows
logically without repetition
Get a start on the story before you go out to report it. Do
your background research; even do some writing. Find out
about the issue and the people involved. Think of the
questions that need to be asked
Organising as you
go
Don't get bogged
down
Sharing the
problem
Outlining
Doing your
homework
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