Journalism History
This invention in 1440 revolutionized the spread of information and led to the first newspapers.
What is the printing press?
This amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects freedom of the press but does not allow for obscenity, incitement to violence, or national security threats.
What is the First Amendment?
This is one of the reasons journalists use AP Style writing.
What is: clarity, consistency, simplicity, objectivity, professionalism, or brevity?
This is one of four elements of a news story.
What is a: Lead, Nut Graph, Body, Conclusion?
• Lead: Answers who, what, when, where, why, and how
• Nut Graph: Explains why the story matters
• Body: Provides supporting details, quotes, and data
• Conclusion: Wraps up with implications or a call to action
When in doubt...think about writing in a "what's new, what's now, what's next" order!!
Visual journalism consists of the following elements.
What are images, video, and infographics?
This 19th-century innovation made newspapers affordable to the working class and shifted journalism’s focus to ordinary people.
What is the penny press?
This legal concept protects journalists from having to disclose their confidential sources in some states, but there is no federal law guaranteeing this protection.
What are shield laws?
In AP style, these numbers are generally spelled out.
These are two of many strategies to verify the credibility of a media outlet and become a smarter news consumer.
What is checking:
• Author Credentials: Who wrote the article? Are they an expert in the field?
• Source Transparency: Does the outlet cite sources, studies, or experts?
• Bias Detection: Is the language emotional or neutral? Is the reporting one-sided?
• Fact-Checking: Are the claims supported by other reliable sources?
• Publisher's Reputation: Is the outlet known for adhering to journalistic standards?
This famous photograph captured a man falling from the World Trade Center on 9/11, illustrating the power of visual storytelling in journalism.
What is The Falling Man?
This sensationalized style of journalism, popular in the late 1800s, was known for exaggerated and sometimes fabricated stories to attract readers.
What is yellow journalism?
This law, passed in 1966, allows journalists and the public to request government records, but certain classified or private information is exempt.
What is the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)?
This punctuation mark, commonly used in lists before "and" or "or," is omitted in AP Style.
What is the Oxford comma?
Three of these are qualities of a good feature story.
What are:
• Descriptive language: Uses vivid details and imagery to paint a picture for the reader.
• Strong lead: Captures the reader's attention from the first sentence.
• Narrative structure: Follows a clear story arc with a beginning, middle, and end.
• Human interest angle: Focuses on the personal stories and experiences of individuals
related to the topic.
• In-depth research: Goes beyond basic facts to provide a deeper understanding of the
subject.
• Quotes and interviews: Incorporates direct quotes from sources to add credibility and
voice.
• Balanced perspective: Presents multiple viewpoints on the issue when relevant.
• Engaging writing style: Uses a variety of sentence structures and techniques to keep
the reader interested.
• Relevant context: Explains the broader implications and significance of the topic.
• Unique angle: Offers a fresh perspective or new insights on a familiar subject.
This type of visual journalism uses motion and sound to immerse an audience in a story, often seen in documentaries and news broadcasts.
What is video journalism?
Investigative journalists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries who exposed corruption and social issues were called this.
Who are muckrakers?
This is the key legal distinction between slander and libel, even though both fall under the category of defamation.
What is slander is spoken defamation, while libel is written or published defamation?
When using a formal job title before a person’s name, this rule applies.
What is capitalization?
These are four important preparations journalists take to prepare for an interview.
What is:
• Researching the subject
• Writing open-ended questions (who, what, when, where, why/how)
• Using active listening and building rapport
• Taking concise notes or recording (with permission)
This ethical principle in visual journalism was challenged when Time Magazine was criticized for altering the mugshot of O.J. Simpson to make it appear darker.
What is manipulation and truthfulness?
The increased role of ordinary people capturing and sharing news using smartphones and social media is known as this.
What is citizen journalism?
This legal doctrine allows limited use of copyrighted materials for news reporting, criticism, or education without obtaining permission.
What is fair use?
When writing a photo caption in AP Style, this verb tense should be used.
What is present tense?
These are five strategies for journalists to find a story on a slow news day or dig deeper for a feature story.
What is digging through:
• Different angles of hard news stories
• Social media
• Local news updates (from local, tax-payer funded entities)
• National news that can be localized
• Personal network
• Events and gatherings
• Industry publications
• Observation/Curiousity/Brainstorming
• Holidays/Observances/Months or Weeks
Infographics are often used in journalism to visualize complex data. In recent history, infographics were critical to show the spread of this virus.
What is COVID-19?
*We went through the New York Times' COVID-19 Interactive Map in class.