Journalism
(non-fiction)
The work of
gathering, writing,
editing, and
publishing or
disseminating news
through text
messages, Tweets,
newspapers, Internet,
magazines, radio,
television, etc.
What is news?
News is
information about
a break from the
normal flow of
events, an
interruption in the
expected. News is
also information
that people need
to have in order to
make sound
decisions about
their lives.
News stories are built on the 5 W’s and 1 H:
Get them into the story as soon as possible!
News stories are top-heavy with facts so
that the first sentence or two can stand
alone, if need be.
Who did the news happen to? Who was involved?
What happened? What makes this event news?
When did it happen?
Where did it happen?
Why did it happen? What was the motivation behind it?
How did it happen?
Example of a quick news story:
Thieves who broke into a St. Joseph auto parts
store Tuesday morning stole 12 Firestone tires valued
at more than $1,000, police said.
The manager of the store at 1123 Piedmont St. told
officers that the one-story brick building was entered
between 2 and 5:30 a.m. by thieves who broke
through a window in the back.
Who: thieves, store manager, police
What: Burglars stole 12 tires valued at $1,000-plus.
When: Tuesday
Where: 1123 Piedmont St., St. Joseph (Mich.)
Why: (assumption) Thieves wanted expensive tires.
How: Thieves entered through a broken window.
News gathering can be an entertaining and exciting
profession, although you won’t get rich off of it.
Potential
Headline:
Environmentalist
Tries Shoving
Gooey Stick into
Intrepid
Reporter’s Nose
Some odd experiences as a reporter:
• Hiding with police officers in
a motel room to close down
a prostitution ring
• Writing stories on deadline
… or get fired
• Making mayors, city
councilmen, and school
officials mad
• Pennsylvania’s treasurer
makes contact “from the
grave”
• Infiltrating violent extremist
groups
Seven news values help journalists determine
the newsworthiness of events:
(1) Impact: Events that are likely to affect
many people.
(2) Timeliness: Events that are immediate,
recent.
(3) Prominence: Events involving wellknown people or institutions.
(4) Proximity: Events that occur
nearby, usually in the circulation or
broadcast area.
(5) Conflict: Events that reflect
clashes between people or
institutions.
(6) The Bizarre: Events that deviate
sharply from the expected and from
experiences of everyday life.
(7) Currency: Events and situations
that everybody is talking about.
Get together with your Study Buddy and invent the
first sentence of your own, make-believe news
story. On a sheet of notebook paper, write down the
following information and fill in the blanks:
Your names: __________________________________
Name of your newspaper: _______________________
Your first sentence of a news story (keep it to under 40
words): ______________________________________
____________________________________________
Which of the 5 Ws and 1 H did you leave out? _______
Identify one or more of the seven news values that
make the lead of your news story newsworthy: _______
____________________________________________
20th century perceptions of news gathering
• 1900-1930s: Fight for
social justice
• 1930s-1950s: Alcoholics
(especially in movies) and
war correspondents
• 1950s and beyond: Radio,
TV start killing off
newspapers
• 1960s-1970s: Crusaders
against war, government
• 1970s-1990s: Big business
• Late 1990s to today:
Internet begins killing off
more newspapers
21st century news reporting:
Where does journalism
go from here?