Chapter 8

lcome to the world of
urnalism, where
porters have been
gging dirt, raking muck,
king headlines and
adlines for centuries
w. It’s a history full of
bloid trash, of slimy
nsationalists, of
runkards, deadbeats and
mmers” (as a Harvard
iversity president once
scribed reporters).
But it’s a history full of
roes, too: men and
men risking their lives
tell stories of war and
agedy, risking
prisonment to defend
ee speech. And as you
n see here, reports have
come beloved characters
p culture, too, turning up
movies, comics and TV
ows as if guided by an
cult hand.
Every culture seeks
effective ways to spread
new information and gossip.
In ancient times, news was
written on clay tablets. In
Caesar’s age, Romans read
newsletters compiled by
correspondents and
handwritten by slaves.
Wandering minstrels spread
news (and the plague) in the
Middle Ages. Them came
ink on paper. Voices on
airwaves. Newsreels, Web
sites, And 24-hour cable
news networks.
Thus when scholars
analyze the rich history of
journalism, some view it in
terms of technological
progress—for example, the
dramatic impact of bigger,
faster printing presses.
Others see journalism as a
specialized form literary
expression, one that’s
constantly evolving,
reflecting and shaping its
culture.
Others see it as an
inspiring quest for free
speech, an endless power
struggle between Authority
(trying to control
information) and the People
(trying to learn the truth).
Which brings to mind the
words of A.J. Liefling:
“Freedom of the press is
guaranteed only to htose
who own one.”
In the pages ahead, we’ll
take a quick tour of 600
years of journalism history,
from hieroglyphics to
hypertext: the media, the
message and the politics.
Technical advances and
brilliant ideas forged a new
style of journalism. It was a
century of change, and
newspapers changed
Inside Reporting
Tim Harrower
8
Online repor*ng dramatically. The typi
newspaper of 1800 wa
undisciplined mishma
legislative proceeding
long-winded essays a
secondhand gossip. B
1900, a new breed of
tor had emerged. Jour
had become big busin
Reporting was becom
disciplined craft. And
newspapers were bec
more entertaining and
essential than ever, w
most of the features w
expect today: Snappy
headlines, Ads, Comic
Sports pages. And an
“inverted pyramid” sty
writing that made stori
tighter and newsier.
Radio and television
brought an end to
newspapers’ media
monopoly. Why? Well
yourself: Which did yo
From print to the Web Media convergence Online storytelling op9ons Wri9ng for online media 2 Electronic newspapers may replace deadtree newspapers!
—  Online media offers readers more variety and control —  Naviga9on crucial factor 3 Arranging stories!
—  Tradi9onal papers 4 • Online news sites
To fulfill the potential of new media!
—  Need to develop new ways to tell stories. —  Tomorrow’s journalists will plan and produce news stories in different ways. 5 Navigating online news sites!
—  Timeliness —  Print uses large photo to catch eye; Web uses smaller image —  Print uses smaller text; Web uses larger text 6 Navigating online news sites!
—  Home page is gateway to online news —  Must be comprehensive —  Must be easy to navigate —  Compelling headlines for links 7 The role of the journalist is changing along
with the media !
—  Gatekeeper (past) —  Journalist shares with Navigator (present)
readers informa9on to which only she has access. 8 Journalist helps to
guide readers through
an ever-increasing body
of information on a
specific topic.
Key home page elements!
—  Time/date —  Index —  Lead story —  Page design for single-­‐
screen display —  Naviga9on buXons 9 • Search engine
• Ads/promotions
• Interactive extras
• Links
• Footer
Technological innovations transforming
21st-century journalism!
—  Newsroom convergence —  Journalists from different media share same workspace. 10 Newsgathering
convergence
Reporters, editors and
photographers
collaborate on reports.
Technological innovations…!
—  Content convergence —  Final story combines —  Text. —  Images. —  Blogs. —  Podcasts. —  Slideshows. 11 New forms of news deliveries!
—  Use print to explain. —  Use mul9media to show. —  Use interac9ves to demonstrate and engage. 12 Multimedia
—  Video —  Audio —  Webcams and Webcasts —  Podcasts —  Animated graphics 13 Interactive
Links
• Live chats • Reader feedback and comments • Online polls and quizzes • Downloads • Archives • Other Web sites • Organiza9ons • Editorials and columns • Addi9onal story elements BLOGS: a way to add viewpoints!
—  Who creates blogs? —  Journalists —  Par9cipants in breaking news —  Bloggers who monitor what’s new and newsworthy —  Are blogs important? —  Everyone has a voice 14 for creating readable, user-friendly
5 Tips
news stories for Web sites
—  “Chunk” your informa9on. —  Tweak your type to make it easier to scan. —  Rethink what a “story” is. 15 • Enhance your story with
extra elements.
• Collaborate.
Online package planning guide!
—  Photocopy page 161. • Think like a reader.
—  Ask the team what’s this • Organize.
story really about. —  Summarize in 25 words or less. 16 • Distribute copies.