Guidelines for Junior Journalists

Journalism is the profession in which one collects, verifies, reports and analyzes
information about current events, including trends, issues and people. Those who
practice journalism are known as journalists.

News stories can be divided into two categories:

Hard news – This is a factual and timely story that provides an account of what
J happened. The story answers as many of the 5 Ws (who, what, where, when, why)
U and how questions as possible.

N Feature – This kind of article tells a story in greater depth and often in a
different style than the straight-ahead news story. A feature is not necessarily
I based on current events—it can be a story about a person or a place and can be
O written to both entertain and to inform.

R
Getting Started
J Before you begin writing an article, research the topic and gather information by
various means so that you have a strong foundation of knowledge.
O
U The Internet, the newspaper, the library
R Although the Internet is an excellent source with a lot of
N valuable information, you will always need to evaluate the
authority of the information you are accessing because
A there is no overall quality control.
L Here are some questions to consider when evaluating the
I reliability of your online source:

S • Is the information part of or linked to a reliable organization's website such as the

government, a college or university, an international organization (e.g. United
T Nations), or a recognized non-governmental organization?
• How current is the content (look for a date when the information was posted or last
updated)?
• Are the links on the page active?
• Is there an author? Is there a link to the author's qualifications, home page, etc.? Can
you find information about the author by searching the web or from non-Internet
sources?
• How comprehensive is the content? Does the content generally agree with what
you have found elsewhere, including in books and other non-Internet sources?
• Is there a bibliography?
• Is the page for some purpose other than to provide information (e.g., advertising or
expressing an opinion)?
 Other sources of background information on a world event can be found in previous
newspaper issues at your local library. If the story is political in nature, you can obtain
information by contacting the office of your city councillor, MPP or MP.

Interviews
The second method of gathering information is through interviews. Depending on the
story you are writing, first create a list of people you will contact. It is generally a good
idea to talk to more sources than you will actually quote in your story so that you have
J
J more information and research with which to work.
U
U Get the list of people you will talk to by reading past articles on your topic to see who is
N already speaking out on the issue, event, etc. Again, depending on the story, you will
N want to talk to experts or regular citizens to get knowledgeable and general opinions
I alike. Experts include academics or teachers, people or organizations working in a
I
O specific area of focus.
O
R It is a smart idea to have a prepared list of questions. If you are speaking to an expert, a
R politician or other public figure with whom you are making direct contact (as opposed
to speaking to random people on the streets), make sure you know a little bit about the
J person and his or her work and/or stand on the issue.
J
O Be sure to record your interviews or take very good notes. If you are not sure about
O what you have written, do not hesitate to ask your source to repeat him or herself, or
U read back what you have written to confirm that you wrote it down correctly.
U
R Visit www.journalism.org/resources/tools/reporting/interviewing/tips.asp?from=print
R
N for Ten Tips for a Better Interview. Although each one is explained in more detail on
N the website, tips include:
A
A
L 10 Tips
10 TIPSfor
FORaABetter Interview
BETTER INTERVIEW
L
I
I 1. Be prepared.
S 2. Set the rules of the interview right up front.
S 3. Be on time.
T 4. Be observant.
T 5. Be polite.
6. Listen but don't be afraid to interrupt when you don't understand.
7. Silence is golden.
8. Maintain eye contact.
9. Before your leave, ask your source if there is anything that you may have forgotten
to ask.
10. Review your notes right after the interview.

Source: International Center for Journalists

 Writing your story
There are no simple rules that determine what is news and which facts, out of an entire
collection of facts, are most important. News judgment is the sense or the skill of
knowing what makes news and what is newsworthy.

To determine what is more important over what is of lesser importance, check to see
which facts answer the 5Ws.

J Lead with a lede

U The lead (or lede) is the very first sentence or couple of sentences of the article. The lead
N must accurately summarize the most important parts of the story. It should be
interesting enough and a well enough written piece that engages and draws in the
I reader.
O Usually the lead will answer several, though not all, of the 5Ws and how. If you try to
R answer all 5Ws and how in the first sentence, it may make it long and awkward. There is
no perfect length for the lead, but most journalists agree that shorter is better.

Establish the point

J
O A nut graph is in the story to tell readers what the story is about because it would not
necessarily be obvious from the lead. The nut graph is usually one paragraph that states
U the focus or main point of the story, providing the gist or the essence of the article. It
often tells the reader why the story is timely and includes material that helps the reader
R see why the story is important.
N
Background information is also important to any story, but it should come after the
A point of the story has been well established. Think about what background your
readers will need. For example, on the issue of child labour, you will answer the
L following questions:
I • What is child labour?
S • How many children are affected?
• What laws are in place to protect children?
T
Add colour with quotes
Quotes add colour, emotion and credibility to any story. They also
provide breaks for readers, giving them variety within the article.
Always ensure that the quote says something instead of just
being in the story.

At times, journalists can paraphrase or reword quotes. You would still

attribute the indirect quote to your source so that readers know from where
this particular fact or point has come. When you paraphrase, it is very
important that you do not distort the meaning of what has been said.
 Use direct quotes:

• to back up the lead and/or other points of the story and to support or lend
credibility to the story
• when they succinctly and accurately describe the events/story better than you
can
• if they express emotion better than by paraphrasing
J • when the statement is or could be considered controversial
U • the words spoken are so forceful, they should not be altered in any way by the
reporter
N
Do not use direct quotes:
I
•
O •
that repeat what has already been paraphrased
just because you have not used a quote in several paragraphs
R • when it does not have anything to do with the story, even if it is a really good
one
• if it is really long or has nothing in it that enhances the story, except for a word
or phrase—in this case, just use the parts you want, in quotation marks, in an
J otherwise paraphrased sentence
O • as the lead of your story

U You can work some more colour in to your story by describing people (who are
providing quotes), the environment, etc. While the extra colour helps to take the reader
R to the place, do not go overboard.
N
A Getting Organized
L
Use the following three phases, based on a system developed by Len Reed of The
I Oregonian, to help you sort through information and get organized:
S
T D REPORT
• Gather
• Search
• Ask
• Interview
• Sort

D SORT
•
•
What is this information?
What does it mean?
• What does it signify?
• What is the headline?
• What is the lead?
• What is its context - with what does it connect?
• So what?
 • Who cares?
• How can you quickly tell it to the clueless and make it count?

D WRITE
•
•
You've got a lead, now order a sequence in telling: organize.
Write quickly and stay on track – you can go back and tweak.
•
J •
As you write, periodically ask yourself: Who cares?
When you finish, go back and edit—cut words and sentences.
U
N Attribution and Plagiarism
I
A cardinal rule in journalism is that you always give the source for facts and never
O represent other people's work as your own. When using facts you should always include
R the source; if you are quoting someone or rewriting material from another report, you
must name the original source of the information, for example, the "Toronto Star
reported…" or "according to the UNESCO website…."
J
O Preparing multimedia stories
U Many of the above guidelines, tips and resources apply to any piece of journalism,
R whether it is print, audio or visual.

N Audio
A In an audio piece, bring in some background sounds to help take
L the listener to where you are. These sounds also help provide life
and colour to a story that would otherwise rely on voices alone.
I Make sure the sounds do not drown out what you or your
interviewees are saying. Listen to a news station on the radio to get
S a sense of what radio news stories sound like. Some radio stations
T also have archives of old stories you can listen to off of the Internet.

Always use short sentences when writing copy for an audio news story.

Visual
In a visual piece, whether it is photojournalism or a hand-held
(digital) camcorder, film interviews so that they appear as natural as
possible. Use the sights and sounds as extra footage to help fill out
your story without someone talking the whole time. Watch the
news on television to get a feel for how news stories are filmed.

Sources: Journalism.org
http://www.journalism.org/resources/tools/writing/lessons/blackbox.asp?from=print
http://www.journalism.org/resources/tools/writing/lessons/background.asp?from=print
http://www.journalism.org/resources/tools/reporting/interviewing/tips.asp?from=print