Basic Newswriting & Reporting

Journalism 30

Course Description | Grading | Reading | Course Requirements |
Do's & Don'ts | Weekly Assignments

Questions from the Readings: Chapter 1 - 4

1. What is the average punishment for a reporter when he or she writes a story that isn't 100 percent accurate?

2. With technology advancing, how can we realistically believe that print media will not be phased out? How can we have security working in a job in this field?

3. How much has convergence negatively affected the amount of revenue generated from print sources?

4. Why is the copy editor responsible for deciding the headline rather than the actual writer?

5. Chapter 2 talks about how magazines are stricter about less-than-perfect work because magazine writers have more time available. Does that mean that magazines are more accurate than newspapers?

6. Is a piece just as strong if a writer does not use any type of quotes and just gives accurate information?

7. If I want to write about a certain person that I know without asking that person, am I doing anything unlawful?

8. How can people expect the newspaper to remain one of the top media if there are so many new technologies that are much more efficient and timely?

9. Is the internet going to surpass the rest of the news media and become the only news media once the technology allows for text and video?

10. Why is it that all these different newspaper and television news companies always share information? Aren't they trying to compete against each other?

11. The text mentions that people are reading the newspaper less and less every year and other news mediums are gaining popularity, but that advertising is still the most effective in the print medium. How is this possible?

12. Photo interviews seem to be the most unreliable form of interview so obviously the best would be to never do an interview over the phone. But if a phone interview can't be avoided, what is the best way to have a reliable interview that can't be denied later by the source?

13. Why are so many people in line for editing stories?

14. When interviewing someone, should you ever lie to a person to get info if you know the person is holding something back. Kind of like a car saleman, and do whatever it takes to get the story?

15. Is it better to paraphrase heavily to avoid strictly Q & A dialogue in an interview story?

16. Is it always okay to correct flawed use of language in an interview?

17. How reliable are government databases in telling the truth and giving complete and accurate information? Why can't the paper show printed proof of Bush's military service?

18. How do you cite a website in a story?

19. How do you cite a chat room or e-mail?

20. How can you interview random people in the street that know nothing about a topic or not interested at all and produce good results?

21. Is the internet really a good assistant to the reporter? Is the web making reporters lazy or less efficient now that they don't have to go out and get the story?

22. Is the internet a reliable source of direct information?

23. How do you stop someone in an open-ended question if they will not stop talking? Is there a polite way without having to cut them off?

24. With the increase of multiple tasks assigned to "multimedia journalists" in the industry, how is the Communication Studies and Journalism department preparing to train new workers to become competitive industry leaders?

25. Is there a class at Sac State that focuses on multimedia or web-based reporter and writing? What is the main difference?

More Questions

Chapter 6

What is the difference between the inverted pyramid and a summary lead?

How do you know a name is prominent enough to use in the lead?

If we use an inverted pyramid, then there is no guarantee that the reader will read the whole article. Shouldn't the story be designed so the reader reads the whole story, not just the beginning?

Chapter 7

How can we use narration without including our own opinion?

Can you narrate without using "I"?

How many direct quotes should be used in an article with 500-600 words?

How do you quote from a website?

Do you use a summary lead for a feature story?

Chapter 8

How do you avoid retelling the speech when writing a story about it?

In writing about a meeting, should you cover all the discussions or only the ones that are implemented?

Should we tape record a meeting or speech? Or just take notes?

Does a quote need to be word for word? Does a paraphrase?

Is it okay for a journalist to take a question/response from another journalist and use it in your story without attributing the journalist?

Chapter 9

Which newspapers have a policy of disclosing AIDS as a cause of death?

Chapter 10: Beat reporting

What value does beat reporting have over other types of reporting?

Does the State Hornet give beats to certain reporters?

What if your story is due soon, before you have time to do background reading or research?

What if you miss one of the main parts of an event? Will the story be worthless? Is there such a thing as cutting a reporter some slack?

What is the average time a reporter has to cover and write a story from the time they get the assignment until it is in the editor's hands?

Why do beat assignments usually last six months and often two years or more if news is timely?

Would protecting sources by not revealing their names make these sources less credible?

How do you quote a secondary source or some other published source in a story?

Are newspaper libraries only open to journalists?

Do reporters have more access to records than the average citizen? Are children's standardized test scores accessible to the public?

What is the difference between persistence on the part of the reporter and harassment?

Chapter 11

It seems just as important to use direct quotes in radio and TV, yet the book states otherwise. Is this really true?

Is there ever a time when it is acceptable to use slang in a story?

Chapter 12

Do journalists often switch to the public relations field?

Do PR people make more money than journalists?

Are press releases written in an inverted pyramid style?

Chapter 13

Are journalists given more time before deadline when they are required to write a story for online before writing the print version?

How often should news websites be updated?

How do online news providers make a profit?

Do you need advanced computer skills if you want to work online?

Will online publications become more popular than print?