Understanding the News

What do journalists do?

• Watchdog
• Truth-teller/seeker
• Informer
• Storyteller
• Trusted Friend
• Dangerous Enemy
• Celebrity

All news stories have common characteristics:

• Important or Significant
• Prominence
• Conflict
• Human Interest
• Time & Proximity – all stories need to consider this

Types of Stories

• Breaking News
• Planned Event Reporting
• Enterprise Reporting
• Investigative Reporting
• Special Segment Reporting
• Features

Radio

• Longer form, more descriptive
• NPR, PRI, U-92, MSN Sports Radio

Television

• Shorter forms, video key element, concise info
• ABC, CBS, NBC, WVU News, KDKA, WBOY

Internet

• Block style, more visual, mid-length with links
• Yahoo, Google, kdka.com, ew.com, espn.go.com

Your Role in News Media

• You are reporting these stories to the public through audio and visual mediums
• You need to know how to find stories, interview subjects, write compelling & complete copy
• Your challenge – to find and deliver according to changing mediums & technology
• ABOVE ALL … YOU MUST TELL A STORY!

Your Assignment – For Thursday

Prepare questions to ask our guest speaker Mo Mozuch. Learn all you can and challenge yourself

Your assignment for Tuesday

Under each type of delivery system find an news piece that reflect each of the types of stories and then talk about the characteristics of that story. This is when expanding you media diet is critical. What did you think about the story?

Example:

Radio – NPR Morning Edition

Story $50,000 In Student Loans? You Probably Don’t Think College Was Worth It

Type Special Segment Reporting

Characteristic(s) – Time, Importance,

I think that this story showed . . . I would have added . . . I would have liked to know . . . I would have changed . . . .