History Television

 Television is a significant in development of human civilization. It is deeply ingrained with Arts, Science and Commerce. Television is a system for converting visual images (with sound) into electrical signals, transmitting them and displaying them electronically on a screen. Television has become an intrinsic part of our life and established an important place in our lives. Television is one of the most popular medium of education and mass entertainment. It is a combination of both visual and audio medium.x. Generally TV is an instrument for converting visual images (with sound) into electrical signals, transmitting them and displaying them electronically on a screen.

History Of Television 

TV is quite recent in India.  TV telecast can given, the first transmission of TV experimentally started in 1920 in USA.  In 1930 a TV station started in New York, in England BBC had its own TV Station. But due to the second world war TV transmission was hampered in entire globe. After  the world war II , TV station started working and in western countries wide spread transmission occurred. By 1948, there were 48 TV stations in 25 cities in USA and they had 2 lakh TV sets in a period of 10 years. Around 512 TV stations came into existence Canada, Japan, European countries which saw many technical advances.

India received its first bunch of TV sets towards the end of 1959 from the help of UNESCO; it was an initiative from Government of India.  UNESCO donated 20,000 dollars for having TV sets in community centers in  India.USA also donated many types of equipment, Philips India Company donated a low cost transmitter and later on Delhi had its experimental TV station to transmit programmes within 40 km radius. To help viewers watch these programmes 180 telecubs were organized. Every teleclub has a TV set donated by UNESCO, these centers developed as centre from community education and other activities. There used to be two days TV programme in a week and every programme was of 20 minutes duration. These programmes were prepared at Delhi in an advanced TV station.

In 1961 UNESCO conducted a study on effect of TV programme in Indian population. The report was encouraging and in the same year school TV programme started. School teachers in Delhi were trained with the help of TV programmes. This helped those schools who had no organized science labs. In India the TV viewership slowly increased. An entertainment programme was started on 15 August, 1965, it was transmitted which was initially for one hour daily and included some news items.

Government of Germany established a studio to prepare programmes on 26th January 1967 the first agriculture based TV programme Krishi Darshan was transmitted. Delhi, UP and Haryana could view it in 180 rural centres. This programme was liked by farmers all around. Subsequently the Delhi TV transmission programme was increased from 1 hr to 1:30 hrs. On 15thAugust 1965, the transmission time was increased to two hours on Sundays. It was on 3rd December 1971 English news was broadcasted. In Oct 1972 Bombay TV station was established, by 1973 Srinagar and Amritsar TV station came into existence and transmitted by their own programmes. The same year Pune started telecasting Bombay station programme by relay. In 1970 there was a TV station in every corner of the country. In 1970, 23,000 TV sets were imported. In 1975 this number increased to more than one lakh. Calcutta, Madras, and Lucknow established TV stations in 1975. Modernised TV sets where available in India and by 1976 the TV world in India got a new name Doordarshan, 54 high transmitters, 371 low powered transmitters, 69 very low powered transmitters and 14 ordinary transmitters could cover almost 63 per cent of population.

SATELLITE INSTRUCTIONALTELEVISION EXPERIMENT (SITE)

In 1976, UNESCO conducted an experiment on satellite communication in India. The success of Satellite Instructional Television Experiment or SITE proved that television transmission would be possible and useful in India. 

For the first time educational programmes were beamed through satellite in India. The programmes were shown in 2400 villages in 20 districts of six Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh. According to 1971 census of India, the states having the most number of backward districts in the country were selected. Later on with help of transmitters 2500 villages and small towns of 6 states were able to view programme. Hyderabad, Kurnool, Medak, Mehbubnagar, Andra Pradesh, Gulbarga, Raichur, Bijapur of Karnataka, Muzzafarpur, Chaparan, Saharsa, Darbhanga of Bihar, Raipur, Bilaspur and Durg of MP. Sambalpur, Dhenkanal, Boudh, Kandhmal of Odissa, Jaipur Kota, and Sawai Madhopur of Rajasthan, were the districts who got the benefit of this progamme.

The transmitted programmes were of mostly of two categories:

 Educational Television (ETV) and Instructional Television (ITV). 

The main purpose of these programmes was to educate the rural mass. Educational programmes prepared by students of schools and colleges of were attractive and creative. Daily programmes included education, agriculture, family planning, health for duration of around four hours. Through the satellite the programmes transmitted were for one video channels and two audio channels and hence these programme were transmitted in two different languages. In the school time these programmes were broadcasted for one half hour. On holidays it was used for training teachers, more then one lakh primary school teachers were being trained through these programmes. 

Instructional programmes were basically meant for illiterate elderly people. They were broadcasted for 2.5 hours during evenings. The programmes were related to health, education, hygiene, improved agricultural practices and important national events. These programmes were transmitted in four languages like Hindi, Odia, Telugu and Kannada. In addition to this a Hindi news bulletin of 30 minutes duration was being transmitted in 4 states. 

CABLE AND SATELLITE TVTRANSMISSION

In 1975 Satcom-1, one of the first generation geostationary comsats built by RCAAmericon was crucial in expansion of TV through cable in towns and villages. In 1990 cable TV brought an undeniable change in Indian Television scenario. Earlier cable TV was telecasting only in Mumbai but later it became popular even in small towns.  The antenna is faced towards the direction in which the signals are being received. Cable TV operators set up a control room in one place and through wires or cable connection to viewers TV provided television signals. The cable operators transmit programmes, movies, serials, music according to the demand of the viewers. The viewers paid one time connection charges and a monthly rent to the cable operators. 

Satellite Transmission Services 

We all know our solar system has eight planets, many have their satellites. But man by his own scientific knowledge has managed to create artificial satellites for purpose of communication. These satellite are rotating in the solar system in their own orbit and are helping send signals and information to the earth. Therefore, in general terms satellite are electronic devices situate far from earth are working as source of communication for earth. Most important is that satellite thousands of km far away from they send information.  Each satellite through its own transponders receives and expands it and sends back the signals to the earth. The satellite overcomes the geographical barriers and can send signals to every nook and corner of earth. At low cost to far away places on Earth or isolated places

DTH 

DTH means Direct-to-Home it is the receiving of satellite signals directly to the TV set from direct broadcast satellite. This new generation satellite TV signal reaches every home through a small circular antenna. In 1994, Hughes Communication of USA started the DTH services called the DirecTV. DTH broadcasting uses the upper portion of KU band transponders in a satellite to send hundreds of channels for down linking on earth.

Indian government permitted the reception and distribution of satellite television signals in November 2000. Dish Tv launched first DTH service in India on October 2, 2003. Indian national broadcast organisation Prasar Bharati started DTH service in India in 2004. Later on private play as like Reliance Big TV, Zee Dish TV, Airtel, DTH, Videocon, D2H, Tatasky, Sun Network, etc. expanded their services. Doordarshan transmitted through ‘GSAT-15’ satellite from 93.5 East. DD is giving free service of 80 channels to the viewers. Aspect TRAI data, by 2013, there are 6 private companies and one government organisation serving to 110 crore TV by DTH, six private parties are giving service to 56 crore Indian consumers.

IPTV

IPTV refers to Internet-based Protocol Television where internet is used to deliver TV programs & Videos that are either live or on demand. IPTV is a system where digital television service is delivered to the subscriber through Internet protocol technology via the medium of broadband or internet connection.

It is slightly different from digital video that is accesIPTV is Internet Protocol Television, in other words this arrangement makes possible to send TV signals through internet instead of traditional satellite or cable. This can make possible for a viewer to see the programme or movie before it is fully downloaded.

IPTV refers to Internet-based Protocol Television where internet is used to deliver TV programs & Videos that are either live or on demand. IPTV is a system where digital television service is delivered to the subscriber through Internet protocol technology via the medium of broadband or internet connection.

It is slightly different from digital video that is acces

 IPTV has three modes of services: 

1. Live television. In live television, customers can view transmission or telecast

2. Time-shifted media  In time shifted television the view can seen the programme after telecast, like subsequent day

3. Video on demand (VOD) . In the third category, the viewer can see it as and when desired.

 In 1995 for the first time IPTV service was started by Zudith Estin and Bill Larry co companies, through Precept software. By Unix and Windows a viewer can see programme in his mobile anywhere and anytime. It comes to consumer via mobile network. The first mobile TV company Panasonic first introduced it in 1970 by its model TR-001. The same company had 2nd model of MTV -1 in 1977. The 2"inch screen mobile TV set was able to receive signal in many countries. It was sold in USA at 400 dollars. With 3G and 4G in the market, TV programme can be viewed in mobile telephones.

SpaceX

Elon Musk's Starlink fleet includes thousands of satellites that are designed to provide low-cost broadband internet service from low Earth orbit.SpaceX is sending thousands of satellites into space to deliver internet access, but the question of when Starlink will start sending its services back to Earth is another matter.

The company has sent up four batches of 60 satellites each, operating at a low orbit to offer latency of lower than 20 milliseconds and access speeds of around a gigabit. It's a far cry from the low speed, high latency satellite internet currently on the market, and it could help rural and underserved areas get connected at speed.

SpaceX looks set to meet that six-launch deadline this year, based on current progress:

• The first launch of 60 satellites was on May 24, 2019.
• The second was on November 11, 2019.
• The third was on January 6, 2020.
• The fourth was on January 29, 2020.
• A fifth is expected in mid-February this year.
• A sixth is expected in March this year.

One user has been able to already get online with Starlink. Elon Musk claimed to send tweet through the service in October 2019.

GENERAL SERVICE AND COMMERCIALTV

The general people oriented programme through Electronic Media is called Lokseva service. In our country Prasar Bharati is the public transmission organisation. Working under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting the organisation includes Doordarshan and Akashvani and works as an autonomous body. It was established in 23rd November 1997 to grant autonomy in transmission service like some other countries the government enacted for this in 1990 and telecast scenic structure on September 15, 1997. The commercial service started in 1st January in Electronic media service in India. Advertisement preferred to show their advertisement in TV because the transmission was widespread. So many rules were framed in connection with that advertisement. The programmes should not hurt the viewers and it should not truly sensitive issue like morality and religious thoughts which satisfied the customers and business community

1. What is Television?

 What are the benefits of Television? 

2. Discuss about History of Television.

 3. Write how TV programme is transmitted by cable.

 4. What is satellite? How TV services are transmitted via satellite?

 5. How TV broadcasting is done through DTH services?

 6. What is IPTV? 

7. What do you understand by commercial transmission?

4G- Fourth generation mobile network.

 Satellite – which received signals from the Earth and also sends back signals. 

TV station - Office of television, equipped in the transmitted gadgets and high transmitted to link with satellite.

 UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation Programme—Various programmes which are telecasted in TV.

source

Read More

Media Interview-Types

 Interviwing

Standard interviewing rules will always apply, but there may be some variance depending on exactly which type of interview the reporter seeks.

1. Phone interview

Journalists will often be located miles away from their interviewees, but remain keen to speak to them directly. Phone interviews are currently the most common form taken by media interviews.Telephonic Interview: the telephonic interview has been found a useful way of getting the views of local people when you are very near press time, which perhaps accounts for the extension in its use. For instance, suppose some restrictions on a commodity were suddenly lifted, and you were told to get interviews for a local angle story:

  These interviews will often be transcribed and published in text format,  for an industry podcast, or radio piece 

 Advantages: Wherever you, and the journalist, are in the world, there are no barriers to a interview,

2. Broadcast interview

This could be live on radio or TV, or the recording may be kept and subsequently broadcast, for example on an industry podcast.

  Advantages: This type of interview is unique in offering the opportunity to be seen ‘in person’, able to much more effectively engage people when you have access to tools such as tone of voice and – if the interview is on video – body language and gestures.

3. In-person interview-Meet-and-greet interview

This type of interview can be difficult to secure. Reporters are extremely busy and always on deadline, so when they want to take the time to meet and speak with you in person, it’s a definite positive. A meet-and-greet is an indication that the reporter wishes to establish rapport and a longstanding relationship with  a source.

4.On-the-record interview: On-the-record interviews are the most straightforward. They involve questions the reporter seeks answers to, typically for a specific story, and are pretty much a sure bet for being quoted and visible. Sometimes a reporter will provide a list of questions in advance, but this is not a guarantee or requirement. Either way, prepare your talking points and stick to them throughout your conversation. If a question comes up that you don’t have an answer to or don’t want to speak to, it’s fine to say that directly to the reporter.

Advantages: This is the quickest and easiest way to establish a rapport with a journalist, and provides a strong foundation for a mutually beneficial relationship with them in the future.

5' Off-the-record interview:

 Reporters are interested in off-the-record interviews when they are doing initial groundwork for a potential story but don’t yet have enough material to move on. While off-the-record is intended to create a safe zone in conversation,  In this interview type, the reporter has a job to do, so tailor your responses accordingly.

6. Background interview: A standard background interview means that a reporter is interested in your knowledge based on his or her area of coverage. Generally, a background interview involves speaking with a reporter to discuss trends you see in your industry, potential future story ideas and the like, but does not necessarily mean you’ll be quoted in the moment. By also sharing details of your specific focus and noteworthy experience, you can provide a reporter with a frame of reference for upcoming story needs. A background interview usually doesn’t result in a story right away, but it is a great way to establish yourself as a future subject matter source.

Written Interview: The written interview, where a person writes answers to a series of questions sent to him, is now seldom employed. Perhaps this is as well, for it is never wholly satisfactory. For one thing, a ‘follow up’ question can never be asked, and it may so happen that a written answer almost demands further questions in order to elucidate a point. In addition, it lacks the personal touch that is so essential. Avoid it as much as you can. 

7.Email interview: Email interviews are actually quite ideal. They involve exchanging questions and answers solely through email communication, so there’s little margin for error and you can control your message completely. Sometimes a reporter will request a phone call to clarify any points in an email response, but it’s generally straightforward and to the point.

7.Broadcast interview: Broadcast interviews are a different ball game altogether. For television, an interviewee has to think through not only his or her interview responses but also physical appearance, tone and body language. 

Multiple Choice Quiz
A major disadvantage to email interviews is that

 a. the reporter can't see the source's facial expression and body language or hear his vocal inflections.

 b. the source can respond with long, thoughtful answers.

 c. many sources are less accessible through email than over the phone.

 d. the reporter has an exact record of what the source said.

Interviews conducted by broadcast reporters differ from those conducted by print reporters because

 a. the broadcast interview should always make the subject of the story look good.

 b. the broadcast interview should never go into as much depth as a print interview.

 c. the broadcast interview is just part of the story, not the entire story.

 d. the broadcast interview is the story, not just part of the story.

Which of the following is NOT among the generally accepted ways of getting an interview subject to answer a difficult or embarrassing question?

 a. Sugar-coat the question by asking it in a less direct fashion.

 b. Ask interviewees what their supporters or critics might say about them.

 c. Threaten to turn your information over to police or prosecuting attorneys.

 d. Attribute the point of view implied in the question to a third party.

In regard to taking notes and recording interviews, most reporters recommend

 a. relying on one's memory rather than bothering with notes or recordings.

 b. recording the interview on tape or digitally and dispensing with note taking.

 c. taking notes of names, dates and amounts but relying on memory for direct quotations.

 d. taking detailed notes and recording the interview on tape or digitally.

Telephone interviews are best for

 a. talking to a person who is the target of an investigative story.

 b. conducting a long interview on a complicated topic.

 c. getting a few pieces of information quickly from a source.

 d. getting information from the subject of an in-depth personality profile.

A good way to get a reluctant source to speak is for the reporter to

 a. try to discover the reason for the source's anxiety and try to overcome it.

 b. threaten the source with embarrassment if she or he fails to respond.

 c. insist on the public's right to know whatever information the source has.

 d. trick the source into thinking the interview is about a completely innocuous topic.

One way of organizing questions for an interview is called the funnel, which arranges questions

 a. from the most general to the most specific.

 b. from the most personal to the most impersonal.

 c. from the most impersonal to the most personal.

 d. from the most specific to the most general.

When asking questions of interview subjects, reporters often

 a. read questions verbatim from a prepared list.

 b. organize their questions by topic to make it easier for the interview to move from one topic to the next.

 c. try to think up their questions during the interview so as to encourage spontaneity.

 d. randomize their questions so that the source will never know what will be asked next.

The best location for interviewing a source is

 a. in a restaurant.

 b. in a place where there is lots of background noise.

 c. in the reporter's newsroom.

 d. in the person's home or office.

Which of the following is NOT one of characteristics of a good question to ask during an interview?

 a. The question is likely to elicit an anecdote.

 b. The question encourages the subject to respond with a “yes” or “no.”

 c. The question starts a subject talking about her or his experiences.

 d. The question encourages the source to provide details.

Which of the following is NOT one of the reasons reporters should perform background research before they interview a source?

 a. They will not embarrass themselves by appearing to the source to be ignorant of the topic.

 b. Sometimes they can write the story without having to waste time on an interview.

 c. They are more likely to have documented all relevant facts.

 d. They will not waste time by asking about issues that have already been widely publicized.

In deciding how many sources are enough for a particular story, the reporter must take into account these four factors:

 a. the complexity of the story, the ignorance of the readers, the minimum required by the editor and the degree of controversy raised by the topic.

 b. deadline pressures, the complexity of the story, the minimum required by the editor and the interest of the reader.

 c. deadline pressures, the expertise of the sources, the degree of controversy raised by a topic and the complexity of the topic.

 d. the expertise of the sources, the probable apathy of most readers, the complexity of the story and the reporter's own boredom with the topic.

In seeking the best available source to interview for a news story, the reporter primarily is looking for a person who

 a. has a knack for saying things that are controversial.

 b. will look good on video or in a photograph.

 c. knows enough about a topic to bluff his or her way through an interview.

 d. has relevant expertise or experience and is articulate.

Which of the following is NOT part of the planning process for interviews?

 a. Defining the purpose of the interview.

 b. Anticipating possible answers to questions.

 c. Devising ways to trick the interview subject.

 d. Identifying areas of inquiry.

When interviewing for a personality profile or other feature, reporters often

 a. conduct their interviews over the telephone.

 b. avoid visiting the subject so as not to prejudice their views of that person.

 c. complete their interviews in 30 minutes or less.

 d. spend many hours with the subject of the profile.

Which of the follow sets of information must a reporter conducting interviews for a news story about a crime or city council action discover?

 a. Facts and details, including dates, names, locations and costs.

 b. Relationships among the people or interests involved.

 c. Anecdotes that illuminate events or issues and make them more dramatic and understandable for readers or viewers.

 d. All of the others

Read More

THE INVERTED PYRAMID: News reports structure

The Inverted Pyramid journalistic writing is the most basic fundamentals of journalism.

 Writing in the Inverted Pyramid style has so many benefits for your readers. Journalists are taught to write news stories using this inverted pyramid structure.  

This style calls for a very direct approach. 

The beginning with the most important, followed by less important, and then finally ending with the least important.

1.   

  The beginning  or The lead, The introductory paragraph should contain the key information you wish to share, answering the five Ws (who, what, where, when and why).

 It should ideally answer these essential questions. In here putting the essential in a few sentences and most attention-grabbing elements first, thus write a brief summary or overview of our article.  Include your most important keywords in the summary and put it at the beginning of your article.  This allows users to quickly assess what your article is about, and helps search engines to identify your most important keywords.

 1.     The second layer of the pyramid is the body of the story and should contain, any additional information to support the introduction, expanding on the information provided.

 y- Sequence of events, quotes, evidences, arguments, the central issue, key details etc.

The third layer is referred to as the tail, The least important information is put in the tail part. It should contain the least important information such as other background information, trivial details and so on. This can also, in some circumstances, include the assessment of the journalist.

Journalism historian David T. Z. Mindich argues that one of the first inverted pyramid leads was written by an Associated Press reporter after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in April 1865.

“The inverted pyramid organizes stories not around ideas or chronologies but around facts,” says journalism historian Mitchell Stephens in “A History of News.” 

It’s also an extremely useful tool for thinking and organizing because it forces the reporter to sum up the point of the story in a single paragraph.

Critics of the inverted pyramid say it’s outdated, unnatural, boring, artless, and a factor in the declining readership that newspapers have been grappling with for decades. 

Structure and scope of News Reports

 ‘Always grab the reader by the throat in the first paragraph, sink your thumbs into his windpipe in the second and hold him against the wall until the tag line.’- Paul O’Neill. News report writing always starts with the most important fact. When you report on a football game, you do not start with the kick-off; you begin with the final score. A news report has a beginning, middle and an end. News stories in contrast to this will blurt out something and then explain themselves. News reports are mostly active rather than in passive voice and are written in concise language. Paragraphs are short so as to set in newspaper columns. Shorter paragraphs are more likely to keep the attention of readers. Attribution meaning ‘somebody saying something’ is used in the news- reports to present a range of views over which the reporters can appear to remain neutral. Most news reports follow the ‘Kiss and tell’ formula- Kiss standing either for ‘keep it short and simple’ or ‘keep it simple, stupid.’ Complexity, abstract notions, ambiguity and unanswered questions tend to be frowned upon and deleted out of news copy.

News reports structure should have- 

1.  Stories should have the main idea given to the journalist for covering of an incident. 
2.  Content of the news report should be comprehensive and balanced. 
3.  The intro should contain the main point of the story and should be clearly developed with the most important information coming early in the story, followed by a coherent, logical and readable structure. 
4.  Personal comments should be avoided. 
5.  Facts should be presented logically.
6.   The style, context and facts should be accurate. The news reports aim is to meet the requirements of everyday life as lived by everyday readers.
7.  So it largely depends on elements like directness, pace, variety and information. It aims to state the facts quickly and clearly.

 A news report has three parts: 

• 1. The headline: 

1.                         a Byline. In design, a byline is a short phrase that indicates the name of the author of an article in a publication. Used in newspapers, magazines, blogs, and other publications, the byline tells the reader who wrote the piece. 

• 2. The first paragraph -Lead
• 3. The remainder of the news story

 

1. The headline:

The Headline first attracts us. It stands out in bold black type. It message is abrupt and often startling. It makes us stop and look. It tells us quickly what the story covers. Its function is to attract our attention. Though, the headline writing belongs to the copyreader’s province and not to the reporter’s.

 The first paragraph -Lead

The Lead One of the most important elements of news writing is the opening paragraph or two of the story. Journalists refer to this as the "lead," and its function is to summarize the story and/or to draw the reader in depending on whether it is a "hard" or "soft" news story .

The opening paragraph of the introduction paragraph of the news story is called the ‘lead’. Though in journalistic practice we also use this word for biggest headline on the front page of newspaper, calling it the ‘lead story’. The main purpose of the intro or the lead is to make the reader want to read on, motivate them to move further into the news story and state the important facts first. Lead to a story "grabs the reader, informs the reader, and teaches the reader how to read the rest of the story." 

The lead remains the primary concern of the news writer. As the present day reader is the man who both runs and reads, present day newspapers seek to facilitate his getting the information quickly. The convention has developed of telling the main facts of a news story in its first lead paragraph. Writing this lead also involves answering the questions, which would occur to any normal person when confronted with the announcement of a news story. 

These questions, called the five W’s are: Where? Who? What? When? Why? 

Suppose the news story concerns a fire. In writing the lead-the reporter would answer the questions, ‘What?’ “Fire broke out,” he would write. He would answer the question, ‘Who?’ and ‘Where?’ by telling whose premises were burnt and giving their location. He would answer “When” by telling the time the fire broke out and how long it lasted. ‘Why?’-in this case the cause the usual carelessly tossed cigarette butt. The reporter can also answer the ‘How’ in this story in several ways by describing the type of fire, or by answering ‘How much’? Here, he would estimate the probable lost and find out if premises had been covered by insurance and if so by what amount.

The Body

The Body The body of the story involves combining the opinions of the people you interview, some factual data, and a narrative, which helps the story flow. 

 The role of a reporter is to find out what people are thinking of an issue and to report the opinions of different stakeholders of an issue. As a reporter, you are the eyes and ears for the readers. You should try to provide some visual details to bring the story to life this is difficult if you have conducted only phone interviews, which is why face-to-face is best. You should also try to get a feel for the story. 

 Keep your eyes and ears open; listen to what your friends are talking about. 

 Read everything you can get your hands on; get story ideas from other newspapers and magazines. 

 Think of a youth angle to a current news story.

3The remainder of the news story=Conclusion

 The end is the conclusion of the news reports.  From the headline and the lead one comes to the rest of the story. He selects the most important incident or fact for his lead. Then he proceeds by selecting the next most important incident, fact or detail, the next most important after that, and so on till he reaches least important phase of all. Guided by his idea of news importance, the story assumes graphically the shape inverted pyramid

 The end will be at the peak of the inverted pyramid with the facts or incidents of least value. When writing a news story for an organization you should always retain the idea that your text is to be read and understood by others. Thus a story is like building blocks, which should be linked logically to each other.

 Therefore, there should be continuity between the intro, the lead and the end of the news story. Thus, the most popular format of news writing is the Inverted Pyramid This is the most widely used approach in news writing. The information is given in the descending order of importance. 

https://wecommunication.blogspot.com/2021/01/structure-for-news-story.html

source

Multiple Choice Quiz

1. The primary advantage of the inverted-pyramid organization is that it
    a. is a natural way of telling any story.
    b. rarely contains any surprises for the reader.
    c. allows the reader to stop after reading only one or two paragraphs and still get the most important information.
    d. locks reporters into a formula and discourages innovation.
2. The second paragraph of an inverted-pyramid story should
    a. continue with the most newsworthy point, adding details and color.
    b. start an entirely new topic.
    c. name people, without further clarification, who are referred to in the lead.
    d. provide background information.
3. Stories that include many important subtopics often deal with these by
    a. summarizing the most important topic or two in the lead and then mentioning others in the second paragraph.
    b. summarizing all subtopics in the lead.
    c. providing a vague lead that can could apply to any of the subtopics and then developing each in the story.
    d. summarizing the most important topic and ignoring the rest.
4. Which of the following is NOT one of the errors beginning news writers commonly make in the second paragraphs of inverted-pyramid stories?
    a. They emphasize the names of sources for and subjects of the news story.
    b. They put lots of background information in the paragraph.
    c. They name, without elaboration, a person referred to in the lead.
    d. They continue with additional newsworthy information about the topic summarized in the lead.
5. The three parts of an hourglass story are
    a. the inverted-pyramid top, the funnel and the base.
    b. the inverted-pyramid top, the turn and the chronological conclusion.
    c. the lead, the funnel and the chronological conclusion.
    d. the chronological lead, the turn and the pyramid base.
6. The advantages of the hourglass story structure are that it
    a. puts the most newsworthy information at the end of the story where it will be best remembered.
    b. Forces the writer to stick to the facts and not use complicated narrative devices.
    c. puts the most newsworthy information highest but allows the writer to develop the story as a narrative.
    d. Allows the writer to invent scenes and dialogue.
7. The focus style story includes a nut graph, which
    a. states the central point of the story and explains how the lead illustrates that point.
    b. is always the first paragraph of the story.
    c. is never more than one paragraph in length.
    d. takes the reader in a wholly new direction from the lead
8. One way reporters can explain large numbers—millions, billions and trillions—is by
    a. converting the number from numerals to words.
    b. converting the number into something related to everyday life.
    c. converting the number from words to numerals.
    d. expressing the number in scientific notation.
9. Descriptions help readers visualize people and places. The best descriptions use
    a. trite phrases and generalities.
    b. lots of adjectives and adverbs.
    c. exaggeration and hyperbole.
    d. concrete, factual details.
10. A good transitional sentence
     a. presents some interesting details about the new topic.
     b. announces that a new idea was introduced or discussed.
     c. offers a vague generalization about the new topic.
     d. offers the reporter’s opinion about the previous topic.
11. If there is humor in a news story, it should be apparent
     a. because the writer says something is funny or humorous.
     b. from the facts of the story.
     c. because the writer has worked hard to inject humor into it.
     d. from the way in which the writer exaggerated the facts.
12. If a news story reports on a controversy in which one person has made accusations against another, the reporter should
     a. include the response of the accused party in the same story.
     b. write a separate story for the same day’s paper on the accused person’s response.
     c. write a separate story for the next day on the accused person’s response.
     d. identify the accused person in only the most general terms to avoid a libel suit.

1. The primary advantage of the inverted-pyramid organization is that it
    a. is a natural way of telling any story.
    b. rarely contains any surprises for the reader.
    c. allows the reader to stop after reading only one or two paragraphs and still get the most important information.
    d. locks reporters into a formula and discourages innovation.
2. The second paragraph of an inverted-pyramid story should
    a. continue with the most newsworthy point, adding details and color.
    b. start an entirely new topic.
    c. name people, without further clarification, who are referred to in the lead.
    d. provide background information.
3. Stories that include many important subtopics often deal with these by
    a. summarizing the most important topic or two in the lead and then mentioning others in the second paragraph.
    b. summarizing all subtopics in the lead.
    c. providing a vague lead that can could apply to any of the subtopics and then developing each in the story.
    d. summarizing the most important topic and ignoring the rest.
4. Which of the following is NOT one of the errors beginning news writers commonly make in the second paragraphs of inverted-pyramid stories?
    a. They emphasize the names of sources for and subjects of the news story.
    b. They put lots of background information in the paragraph.
    c. They name, without elaboration, a person referred to in the lead.
    d. They continue with additional newsworthy information about the topic summarized in the lead.
5. The three parts of an hourglass story are
    a. the inverted-pyramid top, the funnel and the base.
    b. the inverted-pyramid top, the turn and the chronological conclusion.
    c. the lead, the funnel and the chronological conclusion.
    d. the chronological lead, the turn and the pyramid base.
6. The advantages of the hourglass story structure are that it
    a. puts the most newsworthy information at the end of the story where it will be best remembered.
    b. Forces the writer to stick to the facts and not use complicated narrative devices.
    c. puts the most newsworthy information highest but allows the writer to develop the story as a narrative.
    d. Allows the writer to invent scenes and dialogue.
7. The focus style story includes a nut graph, which
    a. states the central point of the story and explains how the lead illustrates that point.
    b. is always the first paragraph of the story.
    c. is never more than one paragraph in length.
    d. takes the reader in a wholly new direction from the lead.
8. A focus story lead is often
    a. a funny story to entice the reader to a story that may not be that interesting.
    b. 10 or 15 paragraphs long.
    c. a one-sentence paragraph that states the story’s central point.
    d. a description or anecdote that may not be newsworthy in itself but which illustrates a larger problem.
9. A news reporter writing a narrative style story writes as a playwright or a novelist would by
    a. making up a story to suit the writer’s purpose.
    b. creating dialogue and attributing it to people.
    c. describing how people interact with each other and their surroundings.
    d. creating characters, events and places.
10. Writers can use words or short phrases to move a story from one topic to another. Five common types of transitional words are
     a. time, addition, causation, comparison and contrast.
     b. time, place, purpose, goal and manner.
     c. location, causation, meditation, regimentation and deviation.
     d. addition, subtraction, comparison, contrast and location.
11. Descriptions help readers visualize people and places. The best descriptions use
     a. trite phrases and generalities.
     b. lots of adjectives and adverbs.
     c. exaggeration and hyperbole.
     d. concrete, factual details
12. If there is humor in a news story, it should be apparent
     a. because the writer says something is funny or humorous.
     b. from the facts of the story.
     c. because the writer has worked hard to inject humor into it.
     d. from the way in which the writer exaggerated the facts.
13. If a news story reports on a controversy in which one person has made accusations against another, the reporter should
     a. include the response of the accused party in the same story.
     b. write a separate story for the same day’s paper on the accused person’s response.
     c. write a separate story for the next day on the accused person’s response.
     d. identify the accused person in only the most general terms to avoid a libel suit.

1. A lead written for so as to be easily understood by as many people as possible should be
    a. 18-20 words.
    b. 20-35 words.
    c. 35-30 words.
    d. 30-45 words.
2. Which of the following should a summary news lead NOT try to do
    a. Provide the most important information.
    b. Stress what is unusual or interesting.
    c. Convey the most recent information.
    d. Lure readers in to reading a story they are not interested in.
3. A blind lead is one that
    a. withholds some facts so the reporter can focus on the most important ones.
    b. was written by a visually impaired reporter.
    c. blindly includes facts about the story.
    d. obscures interesting information as a duck blind obscures hunters.
4. Leads often omit the names of the people involved in news stories because
    a. no one will care who is involved.
    b. their identities are less important than what happened to them.
    c. ethical journalists always omit the names of people involved in news events.
    d. the names are best left to the last paragraph of the story.
5. Good news leads are usually structured so as to use
    a. passive-voice verbs.
    b. subject-verb-object word order.
    c. long introductory clauses.
    d. multiple prepositional phrases.
6. The best verbs for leads are
    a. some form of the verb “to be.”
    b. passive-voice verbs.
    c. compound verbs.
    d. active-voice verbs.
7. Summary news leads often stress the unusual aspects of a story because
    a. “news” is, by definition, something that deviates from the usual.
    b. editors find it easier to write headlines for such stories.
    c. editors find it easier to sensationalize such stories.
    d. none of the other choices.
8. One generally accepted way reporters keep a news lead objective is to
    a. attribute opinions stated by others.
    b. avoid covering controversial stories.
    c. include as many adjectives and adverbs as possible.
    d. make sure the reader knows what their opinion is.
9. Which of the following is NOT one of the reasons news leads generally should not start with the attribution
    a. Names and titles are dull.
    b. Always starting with the attribution makes all leads sound the same.
    c. Readers are not going to care who said what.
    d. The source of the statement is usually not the most important information.
10. A lead that emphasizes the time or place at which a story occurred is called
     a. a summary news lead.
     b. a basic news lead.
     c. a label lead.
     d. an agenda lead.
11. A lead that mentions a topic but fails to reveal what was said or done about is called
     a. a summary news lead.
     b. a label lead.
     c. an alternative news lead.
     d. an agenda lead.
12. Which of the following is NOT among the things lead writers should avoid doing?
     a. State the news as concisely as possible.
     b. Include facts that are obvious or routine.
     c. Emphasize what did not happen.
     d. Exaggerate the facts to make them more interesting.
13. Which of the following is among the things lead writers should avoid doing?
     a. Omit facts that are obvious or emphasizing what is routine.
     b. Stress what is unusual about an event or situation.
     c. Exaggerate the facts to make them more interesting.
     d. State the news as succinctly as possible.
14. What is the problem with the following lead? “The school board adopted new regulations Tuesday that will affect all students and parents.”
     a. It is too specific and should be more general.
     b. It lacks attribution.
     c. It is too general and lacks specific details.
     d. It should use present tense verbs.
15. 
    

Read More