Essential Reporting

The NCTJ Guide for Trainee Journalists
Essential Reporting
October 2007 | 280 pages | Sage UK
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Description

This is a book for everyone who wants to be a journalist: a practical guide to all you need to know, learn, and do to succeed as a trainee reporter in today's newsroom.

Although the world of journalism is changing fast, as technology blurs the boundaries between newspapers, radio, television and web-based media, the reporter's core role remains the same: to recognize news, communicate with people, gather information, and create accurate, balanced, and readable stories.

Essential Reporting, written by an experienced NCTJ examiner, explains how to do this. Contents include:

  • What makes a good reporter
  • What is news, and how to find it
  • How newsrooms work
  • Day-to-day life as a reporter
  • Key reporting tasks
  • Covering courts and councils
  • Successful interviewing
  • Writing news stories
  • Specialist reporting
  • Handling sound, pictures and the web

It also contains a wealth of advice, tips and warnings from working journalists, a guide to NCTJ training and examinations, a glossary and a guide to further reading.

It will be invaluable to anyone embarking on a career in journalism and is the NCTJ's recommended introductory text for all students on college and university courses preparing them to become successful reporters.

Contents

What you Need

  • Character, Attitude, Knowledge, Skills, Equipment

What's News?

  • What News Stories Have in Common - and Why Some Get Printed

Finding Out

  • News and Information Sources

A Day in the Life

  • What it's Like Being a Reporter

First Tasks

  • Handouts, Calls, Weddings, Anniversaries, Retirements, Deaths

Out and About

  • Public events, Speeches, Meetings, Press conferences, Pictures

Talking to People

  • Vox pops, Ring-rounds, Surveys, Interviews, Death knocks

The Unexpected

  • Major incidents, Weather stories, Human interest

Shaping the Story

  • Story length, Structure, Angles, Intros

Writing the Words

  • News stories, Writing for pictures, Presentation

English Matters

  • Grammar, Punctuation, Spelling, Style

Working Online

  • Reporting, Writing, Designing, Interacting

Audio and Video

  • Multi-media, Audio & Radio, Video & TV

Court Reporting

  • Courts, Inquests, Tribunals, Inquiries

Local Politics

  • Contacts, Councils, Town halls, Political parties, MPs, Elections

Specialist Areas

  • Sport, Crime, Education, Environment, Health, Industry, District reporting

Features

  • News backgrounders, Entertainment features, Reviews

Training

  • A guide to the NCTJ

Additional materials

Description

This is a book for everyone who wants to be a journalist: a practical guide to all you need to know, learn, and do to succeed as a trainee reporter in today's newsroom.

Although the world of journalism is changing fast, as technology blurs the boundaries between newspapers, radio, television and web-based media, the reporter's core role remains the same: to recognize news, communicate with people, gather information, and create accurate, balanced, and readable stories.

Essential Reporting, written by an experienced NCTJ examiner, explains how to do this. Contents include:

  • What makes a good reporter
  • What is news, and how to find it
  • How newsrooms work
  • Day-to-day life as a reporter
  • Key reporting tasks
  • Covering courts and councils
  • Successful interviewing
  • Writing news stories
  • Specialist reporting
  • Handling sound, pictures and the web

It also contains a wealth of advice, tips and warnings from working journalists, a guide to NCTJ training and examinations, a glossary and a guide to further reading.

It will be invaluable to anyone embarking on a career in journalism and is the NCTJ's recommended introductory text for all students on college and university courses preparing them to become successful reporters.

Contents

What you Need

  • Character, Attitude, Knowledge, Skills, Equipment

What's News?

  • What News Stories Have in Common - and Why Some Get Printed

Finding Out

  • News and Information Sources

A Day in the Life

  • What it's Like Being a Reporter

First Tasks

  • Handouts, Calls, Weddings, Anniversaries, Retirements, Deaths

Out and About

  • Public events, Speeches, Meetings, Press conferences, Pictures

Talking to People

  • Vox pops, Ring-rounds, Surveys, Interviews, Death knocks

The Unexpected

  • Major incidents, Weather stories, Human interest

Shaping the Story

  • Story length, Structure, Angles, Intros

Writing the Words

  • News stories, Writing for pictures, Presentation

English Matters

  • Grammar, Punctuation, Spelling, Style

Working Online

  • Reporting, Writing, Designing, Interacting

Audio and Video

  • Multi-media, Audio & Radio, Video & TV

Court Reporting

  • Courts, Inquests, Tribunals, Inquiries

Local Politics

  • Contacts, Councils, Town halls, Political parties, MPs, Elections

Specialist Areas

  • Sport, Crime, Education, Environment, Health, Industry, District reporting

Features

  • News backgrounders, Entertainment features, Reviews

Training

  • A guide to the NCTJ

Additional materials

SAGE Publishing Logo

Essential Reporting

The NCTJ Guide for Trainee Journalists


October 2007 | 280 pages | Sage UK

Format Published Date ISBN Price

This is a book for everyone who wants to be a journalist: a practical guide to all you need to know, learn, and do to succeed as a trainee reporter in today's newsroom.

Although the world of journalism is changing fast, as technology blurs the boundaries between newspapers, radio, television and web-based media, the reporter's core role remains the same: to recognize news, communicate with people, gather information, and create accurate, balanced, and readable stories.

Essential Reporting, written by an experienced NCTJ examiner, explains how to do this. Contents include:

  • What makes a good reporter
  • What is news, and how to find it
  • How newsrooms work
  • Day-to-day life as a reporter
  • Key reporting tasks
  • Covering courts and councils
  • Successful interviewing
  • Writing news stories
  • Specialist reporting
  • Handling sound, pictures and the web

It also contains a wealth of advice, tips and warnings from working journalists, a guide to NCTJ training and examinations, a glossary and a guide to further reading.

It will be invaluable to anyone embarking on a career in journalism and is the NCTJ's recommended introductory text for all students on college and university courses preparing them to become successful reporters.


Table Of Contents:

  • What you Need
  • Character, Attitude, Knowledge, Skills, Equipment
  • What's News?
  • What News Stories Have in Common - and Why Some Get Printed
  • Finding Out
  • News and Information Sources
  • A Day in the Life
  • What it's Like Being a Reporter
  • First Tasks
  • Handouts, Calls, Weddings, Anniversaries, Retirements, Deaths
  • Out and About
  • Public events, Speeches, Meetings, Press conferences, Pictures
  • Talking to People
  • Vox pops, Ring-rounds, Surveys, Interviews, Death knocks
  • The Unexpected
  • Major incidents, Weather stories, Human interest
  • Shaping the Story
  • Story length, Structure, Angles, Intros
  • Writing the Words
  • News stories, Writing for pictures, Presentation
  • English Matters
  • Grammar, Punctuation, Spelling, Style
  • Working Online
  • Reporting, Writing, Designing, Interacting
  • Audio and Video
  • Multi-media, Audio & Radio, Video & TV
  • Court Reporting
  • Courts, Inquests, Tribunals, Inquiries
  • Local Politics
  • Contacts, Councils, Town halls, Political parties, MPs, Elections
  • Specialist Areas
  • Sport, Crime, Education, Environment, Health, Industry, District reporting
  • Features
  • News backgrounders, Entertainment features, Reviews
  • Training
  • A guide to the NCTJ

Recent Product Reviews:

'Precisely what it says on the cover - a down-to-earth essential handbook for anyone embarking on a career in journalism. All you need to know about avoiding newsroom minefields and attracting the editor's attention for the right reasons. If only it had been around in my day!' - Bob Satchwell, Executive Director, Society of Editors '... an excellent practical guide to the whole business of reporting.' - Writing Magazine

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