Writing and Reporting the News

Most chapters end with a Summary, Additional Reading and Exercises. List of Exercises Preface List of Newspapers and Wire Services Introduction WRITING Part I: The News 1. News Judgment Impact Weight Controversy Emotion The Unusual Prominence Proximity Timeliness Currency Usefulness Educational Value 2. Fairness Rooting Ignoring Agreeing Concluding Stereotyping Excluding 3. The Language of News Precision Clarity Conciseness Directness Part II: Leads 4. Traditional Leads Length Choosing the Lead The Five Ws Details Context The Lead's Lead Points Label Leads The Angle 5. Other Leads Zingers Anecdotes Scene Setters Quotations The Angle Appropriateness Dilly-Dallying Control Part III: Stories 6. Attribution When to Attribute Guidelines 7. Quotations Direct Quotes Partial Quotes Paraphrasing Form Length Choruses Dishonest Quotes Editing Quotes Responsibility for Quotes 8. Information Selection Selectivity Thoroughness 9. Organization Paragraphs The Inverted Pyramid Supporting the Lead Elaborating Secondary Themes Like Ideas Together Two or More Primary Themes Chronology Transitions Bullets After Soft Leads 10. Background and Context The Past Comparison Patterns The Future 11. Reporting in a Multimedia Age Writing for the Internet Using Graphics to Tell the Story Highlight Boxes Charts and Infographics Maps REPORTING Part IV: Techniques 12. Facts Checking Proof Interpretation 13. Story Origination Press Releases Tips Records Localizing Regionalizing Follow-Up Unannounced Stories 14. Research Figure Out a Search Strategy Find the Best Tools Computer-Assisted Reporting Records Reporters' Files 15. Sources Who Cultivating Avoiding Being Cultivated Ground Rules 16. Interviewing The Preinterview Interview Strategies Questions Note Taking Staying in Control Listening The End The Postinterview Part V: Coverage 17. Obituaries Form Getting the Information Enterprise 18. Meetings, Speeches and Press Conferences Meetings Speeches and Press Conferences 19. Government and Politics Sources Records and Documents Budgets Bids Campaigns Polls 20. Police Beat Checks Sources Crime Fires, Accidents and Disasters Enterprise 21. Courts Records Sources Criminal Court Civil Court Enterprise 22. Features Preparation Observation Building the Story Tone Types Part VI: Specialized Coverage 23. Municipal Services Sources Records Basic Stories Enterprise Story Approaches 24. Education Sources Documents Basic Stories Enterprise 25. Business and Labor Business Sources Labor Sources Documents Basic Stories Enterprise 26. Science, Medicine and the Environment Preparation Complexity and Uncertainty Whom Do You Trust? Sources Journals References Basic Stories Enterprise 27. Broadcast Journalism Broadcast Writing Radio Reporting Television Reporting THE BASICS Appendix A: Format Fundamentals Editing the Old-Fashioned Way Exercises Appendix B: Style Abbreviations Capitalization Names and Courtesy Titles Numbers Punctuation Spelling Sexism Appendix C: Spelling and Grammar Who, Which and That Verb Tense Agreement Misplaced Modifiers Parallel Construction Appendix D: Analogies, Metaphors and Clichés Analogies Mixed Metaphors Clichés Appendix E: Ethics Freebies Checkbook Journalism Conflict of Interest Misrepresentation Private Lives Appendix F: Law Libel Privacy Protecting Sources Access