Reporting
Reporting, means
collection or gathering of facts about current events or background material
required for a news story or feature.
Reporters do it through
interviews, investigations and observation. Reporters are given directions by
editors to cover a particular event, known as assignments. They may be general
assignments or special ones. Reporters write the news stories, which are called
copies. A reporter should write
with clarity, objectivity and accuracy. A reporter who covers a particular area
or subject specialises in that.
Editing:
A person who edits is
called an editor. Editing is a process by which a report is read, corrected,
modified, value-added, polished, improved and made better for publication.
Condensation is also part of editing.
The copy of the report has
been improved by the editor and is therefore easier to read and understand. The editor also decides whether photographs or
other images or graphs should be used along with the report. A good editor
needs creative skills, command over the language, ideas to improve the copy and
correct judgement about how much importance should be given to a particular
news item.
We
call a news report a news story. These are factual stories - events that have
happened or things that are going to happen. Like a good story teller, the
reporter has to narrate the story before the reader or listener or viewer. reporters get news stories
from various sources.
The following are the main sources:
a) Listening:
A reporter can get good stories by listening to others.
The reporter goes to the accident site to collect all this information. The
reporter's job does not end there. He has to inform the photographer about the
accident. The next day's newspaper should also carry some good photographs
about the accident.
b) Covering events : "India-Pakistan cricket
Test in Mumbai", Kumbhmela in Haridwar", "International Film
Festival in Goa ", these are all events. Reporters cover these events for
their publications, channels or new bulletins. The coverage depends upon the
importance and magnitude of the event. A small panchayat level meeting will be
covered locally, whereas a state level function will get wider coverage. If it
is a national event, it will receive nationwide attention.
c) Press conferences: Another major source of
news is the press conference. Leaders of political parties hold press
conferences regularly. Ministers also hold press conferences to announce
various programmes and policies of the government. Business houses arrange
press conferences to launch their new products. Organisations and Associations
also held press briefings.
d) Reports
and statements:. These are another major sources
of news items. Various commissions and committees submit their reports to the
Government which are a goldmine as far as news reporters are concerned.
e) Parliament and
Assemblies:- Parliament and state assemblies when in session
generate lot of news. Questions in both the houses of parliament, proceedings,
calling attentions, zero-hour mentions, debates and various acts passed by the
parliament also make news. The general budget and railway budget are presented
in parliament. State budgets are presented in state assemblies.
lice sources: The police are in charge
of law and order. So the police always maintain a close vigil about various
activities of citizens. Reporters get details about crime, accidents etc. from
police sources.
g) Interviews: Interviewing
people connected with an event or incident is a very common practice used by
reporters to get details. Television reporters take the opinion of people which
are called reactions. Occasionally, reporters of newspapers and channels
conduct long interviews with important people.
News
can also originate from government and non-government sources, courts,
airports, railway stations, educational institutions, hospitals etc.
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