What is News, how one can define news?

News is hard to define and there is no exact. Comprehensive and single definition
can be presented up to yet However. Some definitions are worth mentioning:
 News is a report of recent events. (Webster Dictionary)
 Fresh information concerning something that has recently taken place.
 News is recent events and happening, especially those that usual or notable.
 Word news derives from the word ‘new', which mean fresh. What comes
from North, East, West, and South is news.
 It is full and current inflammation made available to an audience.
 The report of a current event marked by fairness, currency. Accuracy,
conciseness, balance and objectivity.
 News is anything out of the ordinary.
 News is whatever your readers want to know about.
 News is anything that happens in which people are interested. News is
anything that people will talk about; the more it will comment the greater
its value.
 News is accurate and timely intelligence of happenings; discoveries,
opinions, and matters of any sort which affect or interest the readers

Hard news and soft news:

News stories are basically divided into two types:

1. Hard news
2. Soft news.

Hard new generally refers to up-to-the-minute news and events that are reported
immediately, while soft news is background information or human-interest
stories.

Politics, war, economics and crime used to be considered hard news, while arts,
entertainment and lifestyles were considered soft news. One difference between
hard and soft news is the tone of presentation. A hard news story takes a factual
approach: What happened? Who was involved? Where and when did it happen?
Why? A soft news story tries instead to entertain or advise the reader.

characteristics of News/News report

 1. Accuracy:
This is the first requirement of a good news report. You must get all your facts
right, starting from the name and designation of the subject to the statements made
by him or her. You cannot hide behind the excuse that that there was not enough
time to cross check the facts.
The facts that you need to check are:
 Names and their spellings
 Designations
 Incident details. In case it is an accident, you must know the exact number
of people who were injured or killed.
 Statements: The quote reported in the news report must be accurate, and in
context. It should not be misinterpreted to imply another meaning.
 If it is a science story, you must make sure that all scientific names are
correctly spelt, and explained.
 If it is a sports story then you must make sure that the number of runs made
or goals scored are mentioned accurately.
 If it is a court story you must make sure that the court verdict is presented
accurately.

2. Attribution:
All news reports, with a few exceptions, must be sourced. The source can be
identified as follows:
a. Individual: An individual, who witnessed an accident or survived an
earthquake, can be quoted by name as an eyewitness.
b. Organisation: A spokesperson authorised by an organisation to brief the media
on its behalf. The spokesman can be referred to by:
i) Name and designation

ii) Designation
c. Anonymous sources: There are occasions when a news source, who happens
to be a senior government official or an important leader, does not want his or her
name to be used. In such cases, the reporter can attribute the story to informed
sources or well connected sources or official sources or sources who don’t wish
to be named. However, the reporter must know the source well, and should trust
that the information provided is correct.
 3. Clear and concise:
The importance of this characteristic cannot be overstressed. You must learn to
write short stories without missing important facts. Please remember that today’s
reader is in a hurry. He does not have the patience to go through long news
reports. It also means using short words, short sentences and short paragraphs.
This is not easy to achieve. You are required to report an event in as few words
as possible. You can do this if you use short and simple words and keep out
irrelevant facts. The intro of your report must be short and crisp. The body must
be made up of as few paragraphs as possible with each paragraph devoted to one
point.
4. Objectivity:
Objectivity in the news is one of the most important principles of modern
journalism. It means that the news covers to the consumer intimated without any
personal bias or any outside influence that would make it appear anything but
what it is.
5. Balanced:
The reporter has to write all the specific facts correctly, fairly and accurately and
objectively. He has to put all the facts together in a manner that his report conveys
the correct and factual impression. He has to give a fair picture of the event as it
takes place. In order to be fair both to the audience and about the person about
whom news is given it is necessary that the news is balanced in content and
meaning. A reporter has to select and arrange facts in a manner so as to give a
balanced view of the whole situation.

News values:
Information arrives in the newsroom minute by minute. It comes from a wide
range of sources by way of press releases, phone calls, social media, meetings,
research and so on.

However, a newspaper has limited column inches to report the day’s events. A
news broadcaster has only limited minutes.

Limited by time and space, a news editor cannot report all this material. So, they
must be selective, filter out information that is not newsworthy and retain the
stories that most interest their audience.
Those responsible for deciding the news agenda are called “gatekeepers”. They
are usually the newspaper or broadcast station’s owner, the editor or senior
journalists.
A newspaper’s news agenda will reflect the style, ethos and ideology of the
newspaper. This all comes down to the public’s need for credibility. The audience
needs to know what they are reading is truthful and honest, and as the conventional
role of a journalist is to serve the public and maintain ethical conduct, this is where
gatekeeping is still significant in our diverse media environment.

What makes an event, person, or idea news?

• Prominence
• Proximity
• Timeliness
• Consequence/Impact
• Human Interest
1. Prominance:
Well-known people (political figures, celebrities, professional athletes) are
newsworthy. Average people are not. Shahid afridi book , Benazir
assassination.
• If someone who is well-known does something, it is news.
• Example: If you volunteer at a local children’s hospital, it
most likely won’t make headlines. However, if the Queen of
England, the President of the United States, or an All-Star
Baseball Player does, it is newsworthy and will make
headlines.
• The same holds true for your school’s publication; your principal, the
senior class president, varsity quarterback, etc. are all prominent members
of your school.
2. Proximity:
Events closer to home are more newsworthy than events taking place far
away.
• If an event happens in close proximity to your home, it is news.
 • Example: A small brush fire in your city is news. However, a
small brush fire three states away is not news.
• A person will be more interested in knowing what is
happening in their country instead of knowing about abroad
events.
• Even newspaper differ from one place to another. One should
notice the Difference between Lahore and Karachi
newspaper.
• Sometimes few events are important to us like when Pakistani
selected for mayor ship in Britain is news for Pakistani
newspapers and an example of interest nearness or impact
3. Timeliness:
People want to know what just happened or what is happening now.
• The more timely the event is, the more newsworthy it is. People what to
know what happened yesterday, or what is happening right now. Those
events are more newsworthy than an event that is a month, or even a week
old.
• Despite the recognized advantage that the electronic media today have over
the printed media is being first with the news
• For example. a lost plane with two hundred passengers on board is found
in a desert after ten years. Obviously it is a big national news. The
successful journalist never gives up his search for a ’new angle' to an old
story‘
• Consequences/impact
4. Impact/consequences:
Stories that directly influence or affect your readers have significant news
value.
• The greater the impact the story has on your readers, the more newsworthy
it is.
• Example: If a giant storm cuts out power, floods a town, and
causes a lot of damage, it is newsworthy.
• Petrol prices
• Emergency situation in country
Stories that are interesting to read are newsworthy.
• There are three types of human interest stories; emotional stories, stories
of conflict, and unique stories.
• Emotional: If a story makes a reader happy, sad, sympathetic,
angry, etc., it is newsworthy.
• Conflict: People like to read stories about conflict: elections,
sports, competitions, arguments. These stories are
newsworthy.
5. Oddity:
Unique: Stories that are unusual, unique, and out-of-the ordinary are interesting
and newsworthy.
6. Relevance:
Events are more newsworthy when they involve an issue that is top of mind in the
public.
• Negativity
Bad news is more exciting than good news. Stories about death, tragedy and
bankruptcy always rate higher than positive ones such as royal engagements
or celebrations. So do stories about violence, damage, natural disasters,
political upheaval or simply extreme weather conditions. These stories may
also score higher on other news values, particularly threshold,
unexpectedness, unambiguity and meaningfulness.

Inverted pyramid style:

This popular and widely used style of news writing is known as the inverted
pyramid.
In the inverted pyramid style, the reader receives the most important
information first,
Using an inverted pyramid, the journalist leads with the attention-grabbing
finale. The journalist follows up with supporting paragraphs that contain
details, in order of most to least important. The article ends with the least
important information.
Notice how the inverted pyramid is the opposite of essay writing. Essay writing
requires the student to start with an introduction and build toward a
conclusion. Instead, the journalist makes his or her point and then proceeds to
explain it.
The inverted pyramid has been used for well over a century, and for good
reason. The formula is known for engaging and assisting readers. The first
sentences are written to grab readers' attention, much like the headline itself,
and draw them into the article. Readers can quickly decide whether or not the
article interests them.
Even if readers stop reading the New York Times article after the first two
sentences, they still know the main point of the article. The formula allows
readers to skim articles to pick up on certain details, rather than read them
word for word. This is helpful when a reader already knows the main point of a
widely covered news story
The formula is also helpful to print media editors. The print media includes
newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and other printed publications. These
materials typically have strict space
restrictions, and articles often need to be
shortened. The inverted pyramid allows
editors to cut material from the bottom of an
article without cutting important
information.
When the least important information is at
the bottom, articles can be easily shortened
by editors without damaging the structure of
the story.
History:
Before the end of the 19th century, journalist historians agree, stories were
almost always told in the traditional, slow-paced (some might say long-winded)
way. Whether they were fairy tales or newspaper accounts, they began with a
signal that something important, useful, inspiring or entertaining was about to
begin (“Once upon a time”). The narrator, or storyteller, started at the
beginning and continued to the end, leaving the outcome until the last (“And
they lived happily ever after”).
That all changed with worldwide adoption of the telegraph, invented in 1845
by a portrait painter named Samuel Morse. A new and radically different story
form dubbed ‘the inverted pyramid’ emerged, a product of new technology
and a changing intellectual environment that embraced realism in art, science
and literature.
The thing to know about the telegraph is that in its day it was as revolutionary
as the Internet. In this age of instantaneous communication and “live late-
breaking news,”

These are the news sources, which are prominent in today’s time:

News sources can be a moving person or still documents. Such as people

who have witnessed the crime would come to the news source or documents
found at the suicide crime spot would be considered as a news source. There
are several news sources such as official documents, governmental officials,
witnesses of the crime scene, the victim itself etc. News sources are required
for the both, the journalists and for the audiences.

1. Radio: It is an audio medium used by many in today’s time. We can see

people are relying on Radio as a source of information. Radio is prominent
and seen in both rural and urban areas. People in rural who cannot afford
television rely on radio as it is cheap. If we talk about urban areas where we
do not see many using radio at their houses instead they listen in their cars.
Over decades radio has gained popularity and is said is a good source of
news.
2. Television: television telecasts their news on television through which other
newspaper takes there sources. It is said to be the most authentic source of
news as it has visuals to establish the authenticity. Television helps and
provides newspapers to give detailed information to the audience but
television news just doesn’t act as the source to the newspaper but also the
audience itself.
3. Newspapers and magazines: these two also act as a good source of news.
Newspaper on both the levels national and international provides the best
information in details. The newspaper has 5W’s and 1H which gives all the
significant information at the starting of the news and further deals with the
minor details and same is done in the magazines.
4. Press release: Press Releases are generally used for the release of a
particular news. The Press Release should contain worthwhile material,
which has some news value. A Press Release should be written in a
journalistic style and provide facts and information of interest to readers and
should cover all aspects of a specific subject. The release should be on
current subject and a piece of clear writing without any ambiguity, color or
ornamentation but it should at the same time not be generally lengthy.
 5. Press notes: The press notes are less formal in character. These are also
issued on important official matters e.g. raising or lowering of tariff rates,
price fixation of food grains, subsidy announcement of seeds, fertilizer etc.
Apart from the name of department, place and date, a press note mentions
headings.
6. Handouts: The handouts are issued on a variety of subjects like the day-to-
day activities of the ministry or departments, VIP speeches, question and
answers in Parliament or legislature and the developmental programmes of
government departments.
7. Press statement: The PRESS statements are usually given by known
people, then he shares his statement with media and later this becomes press
statement.
8. Police station: every event, which is of big concern to the police station
would be firstly found in the police station. If the reporter wants to know
about a crime scene, he would get first-hand information from there.

Note: you can mention hospitals as well as courts as a news source as well for the
journalists and audience.

Lead/intro, its components and types

In news writing, we begin with leads. A sentence stating fact that tell the reader
what the story is going to be about. Usually one factual sentence with all 5ws and
1H answered: who, what, where, when, why.
Every news story begins with an introduction, which is called “Lead”. Reminding
you that this could be a single word, phrase, a brief sentence, an entire paragraph,
or a series of paragraphs.
Components of Lead/intro

 The Five W’s and H

News writing strives to answer “The Five W’s and H:” that is, Who, What, When,
Where, Why and How. Good leads answer as many of these questions as possible
in a single sentence. When writing a lead, it helps to think about which of these
facts is the most vital for readers to know.
WHAT? You don’t have a story without the what: something happened. What
was it? This should generally be the first item in the lead.
WHO? It is important to include the name of the person (preferably) or at least
identify who they are (i.e., eight students…).
WHEN? Time is needed to understand the timeliness news element.
WHERE? Location is a key point in understanding a story, though it usually
belongs at the end of a lead.
WHY? AND HOW? Usually, you should address one of these in your lead,
though the other may be developed later in the story.

 Keep It Short
A good lead provides all the information the reader requires in just a few words.
Ideally, a lead should be between 25 and 40 words.
 Keep It Simple
Don’t clutter up the lead with unnecessary adjectives or adverbs. Also make sure
that your lead only discusses one idea to avoid confusion.

The Different Types of leads:

1. Summary lead:
This is the most common and widely used lead especially in newspapers and most
of us have come across these while browsing stories. These are straight leads that
just state the facts and include the who, where, what, when, why and sometimes
even the how of the event or happening. Traditionally, summary leads have been
used to report breaking news. The purpose of such leads is clear – to give specific
information without wasting too much time
2. Punch lead
it uses strong verbs and short sentences that are meant to create an impact. The
purpose of this type of lead is exactly that – giving a jolt so that readers will sit
up and take notice.
E.g. — The President is dead.
The punch lead is most often used in news stories and can be used in news features
where you want to convey a hard-hitting message to the readers or to reveal some
high-voltage piece of information. To give an example, if you are writing an
investigative story about a thickly wooded forest that has been destroyed because
of deforestation and construction activity, a lead simply saying “The trees are
gone” or “the birds have flown away” will give the desired impact.
3. The contrast lead
This lead uses two different thoughts or two sentences that are exactly opposite
to each other in the opening paragraph to make a strong statement. For e.g. pitting
joy against sorrow, new against old, tragedy against happiness are some of the
ways to do it.
Example: 50,000 tonnes of food grains are available in the Government go-
downs, while 18 people in XYZ district die of starvation.
4. Anecdotal lead
This one begins, as is obvious, with an anecdote. Often, an interesting anecdote
can pull in the readers’ attention like no amount of statistics and straight narration
of facts can. This kind of lead is rarely used for breaking news but works well for
both soft stories and news-based features. An anecdotal lead unfolds slowly. The
following is an example of an anecdotal lead:
Sharon Jackson was sitting at the table reading an old magazine when the phone
rang. It was a reporter asking to set up an interview to discuss a social media
controversy involving Jackson and another young woman.“Sorry,” she said. “I’ve
already spoken to several reporters about the incident and do not wish to make
any further comments.”

5. Descriptive lead
As the name suggests, this type of lead goes into great detail to describe the scene
or person that makes up the subject of the story. The idea is to create a visual
impact. So if you are writing a news report about a high-profile murder, instead
of using a boring summary lead informing who was murdered and why you could
make the piece more impactful by graphically describing the crime scene.
 6. Question lead:
Use when story has direct relevance or public interest to reader. Many editors
dislike question lead on the basis that people read newspapers to get answers, and
not to be asked question. if the question is provocative, it may be used as a lead.
Example: What is the first thing that a woman buys when she is advised that she
won $2,50,000 in a jingle contest? Mrs. Jane Roe, informed by XYZ Soaps that
her entry took top prize in the nationwide contest, said that she will buy a rhyming
dictionary that .