Getting Started

1
Getting Started
2
Qualities of a reporter

• Engaged
• Articulate

3
Engaged

• Curious
• Empathetic

4
Articulate

• Write clear, correct sentences
• Organize stories for narrative like youre
  telling this story for folks around the fireplace

5
Changing journalism

• Convergence
• One organization operating a newspaper, radio
  station, television station and Web site.
  Reporters, photographers and editors prepare
  stories for all media.
• Two or more organizations share stories and
  information. Each delivers stories by its
  traditional medium and by the Web.

6
New practices

• Backpack journalists reporters who carry
  computers, cameras and audio equipment and file
  stories for Web and other media from the field.
• Community journalists Volunteers or part-time
  workers who contribute stories or photographs.
  Often the content they create is intensely local.

7
Preparing paper copy

• Top left of first page, write ...
• Name
• Date
• Slug
• Example
• Juan Vendores
• Oct. 31
• Handgun hell

8

• Start about two inches from the top of first
  page.
• The slug should be one or two words that identify
  the story. It should be specific enough that an
  editor can distinguish your story from similar
  ones.
• Arrest is not sufficiently distinctive. Many
  people may be arrested in one day.
• Harrison arrest is more distinctive.

9
On subsequent paper pages

• Indicate adds or additional pages.
• Parking protests-add 1
• Parking protests-page 2
• Indicate end of story.
• 30

10
On all pages

• 1 ½ or Double space.
• Use one-inch margins.
• Use 12-point type. I believe Times New Roman is
  about the best.

11
In general

• All assignments must be typed.
• Write your assignments on a typewriter or
  computer. Dont write your first draft in
  longhand.
• Edit all of your copy.
• Dont hand in a story that has been copied and
  pasted in about three different type faces.
• Correct the type face and the spacing.

12
Copy-editing symbols

• See the inside front cover and pages 12-15 of
  Reporting for the Media for copy-editing symbols
  and illustrations of how they are used.
• The symbols are conventions for marking changes
  and corrections in copy in a way that is clear
  and speeds the typesetting process.

13
Preparing electronic copy

• Use Microsoft Word processing program.
• When sending digital copies, name the file using
  a one-word slug and your last name separated by
  an understrike (shift hyphen).
• Schoolfire_bender
• Put your name, the date and the slug on the first
  three lines.

14

• Hit the return button two or three times before
  you start the body of your story.
• Indent the first line of each paragraph three
  spaces.
• Dont double space between paragraphs.
• Type or 30 at the end of your story.
• If you submit your story by e-mail, make it an
  attachment. Do not paste it into e-mail.

15
Editing electronic copy

• Copy written on a computer cannot be edited using
  traditional copy-editing marks.
• But electronic copy must be edited carefully.
• Many news organizations use software that tracks
  who made what changes, like Microsoft Words
  Track Changes feature.