Writing For Newspapers

by Ms Satrupa Chaudhry

 

After giving us a lucid explanation of different types of Features and their examples,madam thought of engaging students with a written assignment of what we learnt.She categorically told us that we needed to write about varied Features in order to have a first-hand experience of its dynamics.We learnt how Reporting and Feature-writing is distinctly different from each other.Reporting is purely documenting an event to inform people objectively and concisely.On the other hand,Features are descriptive and usually accomodate personal opinions.We have the liberty to go at length so as to substantiate our line of argument.

  In the written exercise,we were given 45 minutes to write a News Feature which is an article about an important issue that is attracting media's attention.We chose molestation of a girl by self-styled godman Asaram Bapu as our topic.We utilized the valuable inputs given by madam in our effort to begin with an outstanding Introduction.She informed us about how an ironical beginning(presentig paradox) can be a key tool to catch the fascination of the reader.We were enlightened by her insights about the need to exercise self-restraint when it comes to an issue as sensitive as sexual asault.We didn't go over the top in our scathing criticism on Asaram Bapu-a reminder given by mam.She even taught us how we can be argumentative through sound reasoning in our persuit of writing with a difference.The conclusion is  the bedrock of any Feature and we were rightly advised to conclude in a manner that can galvanize reader into action or even have a lasting impact on the reader's mind.

History of Press (Mr. Vikas Pathak)

Mr. Vikas Pathak’s second lecture on the ‘History of Press’ centered on many aspects that played a decisive role in our nationalist struggle against British occupation. He first explained to us the role that print capitalism played in the creation of ‘imagined communities’ (a concept credited to Benedict Anderson) and how newspapers created the foundations of such a community. He then articulated the difference between a Pre-Modern and a Modern State and the reasons for the semi-hegemonic nature of Colonial India. Then, borrowing from Antonio Gramsci’s theory of ‘war of position’, he gave us a synopsis of Gandhi’s book ‘Hind Swaraj’ that chronicles the ideological struggle that he and scores of other faced to reverse the hegemony of the State pre-independence. The lecture was concluded with a detailed analysis of the Nationalist Press of India and how it united the people to fight for freedom.

Media Laws (Mr. Satya Prakash)

The class lecture dealt with state functionality and how the protection of rights provided to the citizens has to be subject to reasonable restrictions. While the state derives its legitimacy from the consent of individuals, it’s this very heterogeneity prevents the existence of absolute rights for speech. Talking about free speech and it’s implied connotations for the media, Mr. Satyaprakash discussed how the state is a self-preserving entity, and therefore promulgates laws that seek to dissuade dissent. While reasonable restrictions are imposed on free speech, the metric to gauge whether the imposed restriction is reasonable or not is the ‘direct impact’ method. Simply stated, this method ascertains whether the restriction imposed completely hinders the very right it has presupposed to exist.

Financial Journalism (Mr. K.A. Badarinath)

The class started with a brief introduction. Professor K.A Badrinath, is the editor of Financial Chronicle and has previously worked with The Economic Times and The Pioneer. He commenced the lecture by talking about Journalism. He said that Journalism was like kite flying and required a certain realm of imagination.

 He listed down the top financial newspapers, namely, Economic Times, Financial Express, Mint, Hindu Business Line, Financial Chronicle and Business Standard. He also stated that “Reading a business paper is an art in itself”. Then he asked us to give our opinions on the state of Indian economy.

Talking about the Indian economy he stated that:

 1. The Indian economy is the ninth largest economy in the world. It’s divided between four sectors, namely, Industry, Agriculture, Export/trade, Services.

 2. It is the second largest foodgrain producer in the world.

 3. Our iron ore exports our banned. Iron ore is converted to steel and then exported to earn higher value.

4. Our net worth in terms of GDP is $1.87  trillion. Of which, 56.4% is contributed by service sector,17.4% by agricultural sector and 26.4% by the industrial sector.

5. However not even 5% of this forms the part of world trade.

6. Our GDP is the ninth largest as per the 2012 data.

7. India is the tenth largest importer and the nineteenth largest exporter in the world. Export accounts for $309 bn and import accounts for $512 bn.

8. In terms of the ease of doing business, India is on the 192^nd position which means it is very difficult to do business in India.

9. We engage in contract manufacturing. This means, our locally produced goods are further branded and sold worldwide.

10. To overcome all these problems, India first has to deal with its rural difficulties which include illiteracy, health, poverty and infrastructure.

Some of the world’s richest people live in India and own big business empires. Right now according to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the Business houses ought to contribute 2% of their profits towards social upliftment. However in practice, this rarely happens.

The lecture ended on the question, whether these business houses should come up and take initiative to contribute towards India’s social sector projects?

Communication: Concept and Process (Ms. Parul Abrol)

Communication:

Provide an abstract understanding of the communication process as an understanding. One can move beyond deciphering a single event, i.e. one can apply it everywhere.

Communication process:

The communication process is made of four components:

1) Sender-

The sender can be an individual, a group or an organization. The sender is responsible for sending the message. Sender’s experience, skill, attitude, knowledge, perceptions and culture influence the message.

2) Message-

It involves a threefold process. Written words, oral communication, non-verbal language selected are of paramount in ensuring the receiver interprets the message as intended by the sender.

For example: Burnett & Dollar.

·         The first step is Encoding in sending the message.

·         Encoding : - “Translating the information into a message in the form of symbols that represent the concept.”

·         Symbols used could be language, words, gestures, etc.

·         For effective message and message encoding, there should be clarity on what message needs to be sent.

·         To transmit the message, an appropriate channel is utilized.

         For example: oral or written communication, etc.

         Narendra modi writing English Editorials.

 The Message is pitched on the basis of:

a)    Urgency.

b)    If immediate feedback is received.

c)    If the documentation required should be permanent.

1) Receiver:-

This involves the next step viz. Decoding. Decoding is done by the receiver. Once the message is received examined, the brain interprets it.

How does a receiver interprets the message depends upon the following:

a)    Skill

b)    His/her knowledge on the subject

c)    Relationship between the sender and the receiver

d)    Experiences, attitudes, perception and culture.

1) Feedback:-

The Receiver may respond in some way and signal responses to the sender. This may be in the form of a smile, a sign, abuses, facial gestures, etc.

·         “A lack of response could also be a form of response”- Bovee & Thrill.

·         The communication process is the perfect guide towards achieving effective communication. This helps to ensure that the receiver gets the message and understands it.

2) Barriers:-

The communication process can be hampered by barriers.

• Inappropriate language, incorrect grammar, inflammatory words, words that conflict with body language, technical jargon.
• Noise and disturbances, etc.

All these factors can distort the message or prevent the receiver from paying attention. 

Journalistic Trends (Ms. Vichitra Sharma)

Sensationalaization has nothing to do with matured news, said by Ms. Vichitra Sharma, the veteran news editor and journalist, here on Wednesday.

Addressing the students of the department of English Journalism she pointed out that those media which sensationalize the news are more or less putting false assumptions to the reality. As the landing of India’s new fighter Super Hercules at the border of China has never reflected any sign of conflicts or between the two countries , the titles such as  a‘’showing of muscle’’ and  ‘’India dare to China’’ were far more exaggerated. Comparing the news headings of ‘’The Hindu’’, ‘’Hindustan Times’’, ‘’Times Of India’’ and ‘’The Indian Express’’ among them on certain issues Ms. Vijita indicated that when events are transformed in to news it should not be deviated from the reality.

She added that the journalists should keep a kind of responsibility towards the nation’s diplomatic affairs. Stressing the importance of it, Ms. Vijitha introduced the new special cell that has been created under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs known as ‘public diplomacy’.

 Giving conclusion for the lecture a warm debate was also conducted on the topic ‘’Will Social Media be The Future Platform of Journalism’’. All of the students actively participated in the discussion. While majority of the students were of the opinion that the social media will surely be the platform of the future journalism, others argued against the view. They argued that, as the social media do not have a say in media ethics and laws professional writers and think tangs are not so much ready to come to that field. They added that social media cannot defend any writer from being blamed or mocked by indecent utterances. 

News Report (Ms. Namita Kohli)

How is news made?

News is not something that merely “happens”. It is something that is actively “put together” by reporters, editors and publishers. Gathering, selecting and writing news is subjective.

News Filters

In their book Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of Mass Media, Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman postulate five “filters” that determines the type of news that is presented in the media.

The five filters are –

1)    The size, concentrated ownership, owner wealth, and profit orientation of the dominant mass-media firms.

2)    Advertising as the primary income source of the mass media.

3)    The reliance of the media on information provided by government, business, and "experts" funded and approved by these primary sources and agents of power.

4)    "Flak" as a means of disciplining the media.

5)    "Anticommunism" as a national religion and control mechanism. In Indian context, this religion can be replaced with “pro markets”.

Please Note: Post September 11 WTC Attack, Chomsky and Herman updated the fifth filter to “War on Terror or Antiterrorism” and believed it operated in the same manner.

For detailed reading on these propaganda models or news filters, kindly refer to:

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Herman%20/Manufac_Consent_Prop_Model.html

Writing for Newspaper (Ms. Satrupa Chaudhary)

The Lecture of Ms. Satrupa Chaudhary was on Writing for newspaper.  She started with the evolution of writing as to in what form it started, the changes in it and in what style it is accepted now.

·         Advertisement’s

·         Book reviews

·         News article

·         Editorials

·         Business letters

·         Interview

·         Movie review

She continued with the different forms of writing in books which included educational textbooks which were further divided into fiction, poetry, novels and sciences, mathematics and atlases. After books it was the social media which was classified by writing on twitter, facebook, texts, SMS, and even the blogs. Then the other form was the Media which had print and electronic forms in it.

Writing in newspaper is a medium to communicate with the people or the target audience through the different parts of newspaper articles like

·         International / national news

·         Local / metro news

·         Editorial – letter to editor

·         Business/ financial

·         Weather forecast

·         Sports

·         Supplements – lifestyle , entertainment, matrimonial

At last she concluded her lecture with the factors that affects the writing. That included the content, the structure, the style and the deadline. For effective writing, a writer should be careful of all these factors for effective reach of views to the target.

The first lecture on media laws and ethics by Mr. Satyaprakash focused on the basic duties of a reporting, during on-field reporting. In an elaborate lecture, he said about the basic duties and rules to be followed by reporters, that enables us to cover a complete story which makes sense and appeals to the larger masses.

Of the many things that he explained, he said that the first and foremost duty of a reporter includes informing the office or the editor about the incident and seeking permission to go ahead for covering the story. On getting a go ahead, there are several other factors that must be considered to make the news worthwhile.

One of the first ones to follow is the 5W1H rule, which entails covering ‘What the incident or the story is all about and where did it occur, when and why did it happen and whom all does it affect’ and how? This ensures that the news being filed is complete in every sense and makes it to the final print.

He continued with the lecture and talked at length about setting an agenda for discussion and debate in the society. This however is decided on the nature of reporting being done. For instance, only covering a particular incident and its details falls under micro reporting. On the other hand, covering the bigger picture related to the incident is macro reporting, and this is what sets the tone for debates and discussions.

Journalism and journalists, more often than not, act as a watchdog for the society. They report and cover the details pertaining to events which go unnoticed. Investigative journalism is one such field, which requires coming out with facts supported by proof, which otherwise would not come to the knowledge of the common man. And for all this, it is very important that to educate the common masses, one needs to research and research more to mature as a journalist. And then we have the duty to entertain the masses, by thinking and coming up with various ways in which the common man can be kept engaged to a common social cause.

The very first lecture of the session was with Ms. Namita Kohli on the basics of reporting. We started off by discussing what journalism stood for. Journalism basically sought to give voice to the “voiceless” or marginalized.  In this context it is also important to ask whose voices are we willing hear. It creates public opinion and brings forth key debates while also acting as a watching and empowering the citizens with information.

We next discussed what ‘news’ stood for. NEWS basically stands for “North, East, West, South” or everything which has any significance, a bit of drama, a surprise element, or concerns personalities makes news. Also scandals, large scale events and proximity of an event are important factors in determining the news. News is factual, objective, and lacks any bias. The various areas which make news can range from sports, crime, infrastructure, politics, legal issues, conflicts and calamities to fashion, entertainment, celebrities and lifestyle. Inside a newsroom, editors decide news according to its timeliness and define news as something readers care about.

We finally concluded by discussing how news is made. News is not something that merely “happens.” It’s actively “put together” by reporters, editors and publishers. Gathering, selecting and writing news is also a largely subjective matter.

The day commenced with an introductory lecture by Ms. Aditi who told us about the inverted pyramid form of reporting and rule of 5Ws and 1H. The inverted pyramid signifies that while reporting, the most relevant information must precede the less important details of the story.  We also had a little discussion about the major publications in India, their target audience and their influence.

The second lecture was on Communication Concepts by Ms. Parul Abrol. She defined Communication as “all those planned and unplanned processes through which one person influences the behavior of others.” She told us that we interact according to certain theories as they help broaden the contours of our understanding of communication behavior. They also help us predict and control our communication while providing us with an abstract understanding of communication process so that it enables one to move beyond deciphering in a linear fashion.

The next lecture was taken by Probir Pramanik who shared his experiences as a print journalist. He began by giving us an advice that while writing a report, the sentences must be short and crisp as it helps hold the attention of the reader. He said preparation study or research is a part of life for a journalist and sources and contacts are an essential part of journalism. While elaborating on each of these points by sustaining them with real life examples and interesting anecdotes from his experience as a journalist, he also remarked on some relevant facts about the media industry. He told us about the constant conflict between the industry trends and journalistic trends which is present due to the strong corporate lobby that enables the corporations and politicians to plant stories. Lastly he spoke about the newspaper’s social responsibility towards the people so that the reporter may write ethically without instigating them.

The first lecture by Mr. K G Suresh focused on the basic fundamentals of editing. We were given a brief insight into the job of a newspaper editor and how an actual news copy is edited and made fit for publication. The lecture primarily focused on various factors which should be kept in mind while writing a good news copy.

Some of the factors which are essential for preparing a good news copy are as follows:-

1.Being professional: The writing must be formal and crisp. But simple and conveying the news in short.

2.Maintain reader’s attention: It should be a good copy, useful to the reader. It should not just have an attractive headline; the body needs to be relevant as well.

3.Presentable: The copy must have a proper layout, good captions, headings, significant boxed items, stats and figures, boxed backgrounders, headlines in place, sub headings, proper graphs and photographs.

4.Copy fit for publication: The final copy must be credible as well as fit for publication.

5.Highlighting the relevant: The copy should look relevant for the public at large, it needs to touch the core of the people.

6.Factual: Facts are sacred. So, they need to be correct. It is very important to be cautious.

7.Selection of content: It should always touch the target audience.

8.Sentiments should not be hurt.

9.Effective: Words, nuances, various terms that make a copy effective must be used.

10.Bias: The copy should always be objective. An impartial delivery is a must.    A copy must never be one sided, both versions must be addressed.

11.Error- free: It is very important for the copy to be error free.

12.Co-ordinating.

13.Inverted pyramid structure: The most important part of the copy must always come first.

14.Backgrounds: A brief backgrounder is important in a copy, not just for the first time readers but also to refresh the memory of the public.

Also, the editor should be aware of his target audience and the news copy should be prepared accordingly. The article should be able to engross the reader and captivate his attention throughout. The Editor should also try to chalk out a fine balance between the demands of his readers and the inclinations of the newspaper’s corporate ownership. A bias towards either direction can be damaging for any news copy. Moreover, the lecture emphasized on how having good general awareness is pivotal for any news editor. He should be well versed with the happenings around him and portray them accurately, whenever he is called upon to do so. We also had a discussion about how vital it is for any editor to take an interest in all fields and develop qualities like curiosity and inquisitiveness.