Journalism

Journalism has become a job carrying enormous personal rewards. Indeed, it is difficult, chalenging (e.g.
physically, emotionally, ethically, politically), yet again - it is fun. Journalism requires mastering a multiple
range of knowledge and skills (Hicks: 2008; Brighton: 2007; Randall: 2007).

This essay has the task to identify the key sources and methods I have used gathering information for my
332MC News and Features (aka. 332MC) articles portfolio, as well as give a comment to what I have
learned working individually and collectively in teams in the various project tasks through this module. A
critical discussion on various journalism issues, such as news values, objectivity, sources, identifying a
readership, interviewing techniques and information gathering will be included (Machin: 2006: Allan:
2005).

In order to build on my skills and theoretical knowledge developed through my practice in years one and
two of this course, this year I tried to develop my awarness of the concept of researching and presenting
news and feature arcicles in print. As McQuail says 'journalism is not produced in vacuum' (in an analogy
borrowed from Harcup: 2004), but a product developed within a range structural factors and influences,
as well as law constraints and market forces (Allan: 2005; Shoemaker: 2006; Machin: 2006).

To begin with, one of the first and most important things I improved this year was the quality of research
and the use of primary sources as a basis for my articles. People, places or organisations - these are the
most vitabal part of the journalism practice (Machin: 2006; Brighton: 2007). Tony Harcup suggests that
sources are where 'potential news stories originate' (Harcup: 2004: 44). 'News is what an authoritative
source tells a journalist' (Bell: 1991 in an analogy borrowed from Harcup: 2004).

Journalism could not exsists if it was not for sources. Anyone who dares to call themselves a journalist
has to be surrounded by sources. Even the best story would not go to print if it has no sources - that what
fixtion is, and journalism is anything but fictional (Hennessy: 2006; Brighton: 2007; Sissons: 2006).
However, journalists have to stay objective and be able to seperate independently verifiable facts from
subjective information (Harcup: 2004; McNair:2003; Phillips: 2006).

I learnt that it is really important to increase my awareness because sources of potential news stories or
features could be found anywhere. For example, while having a private conversation with a close friend of
mine, she told me about an article she has read in a free copy of the Metro Newspaper. I asked her if she
still has the copy of this issue with her and fortunately she had it into her purse. That is how I came up
with the idea for my Facebook- NHS privacy issue article.

Another highly important thing I learnt is that I should never commit to write a news article or a feature
before knowing the publication I am writing for. 'If you want ot be read, is that you first identify the
readership before ever putting your pen to paper' (Clayton: 2000: 5). For instance, this year the 332MC
module offered students to simutanesely learn through practice what house style is and how to identify
and write for a certain type of readership by being given a chance to write for different publications (e.g.
CuToday, Coventry Telegraph, RAO newspaper). One of the best ways to identify your audence and
build up a reader profile is by idicating the adverts that go into a certain publication (Sissons: 2006;
Clayton: 2000; Shoemaker: 2006). 'They give an accurate indication "of the readership"
interests'.(Clayton: 2000: 45).

'Journalists write objectively with an audience in mind - the general public'. (Clayton: 2004: 4). Knowing
this, one of the most important principles in journalism, I have always managed to be objective (Sissons:
2006; Fleming: 2006; Allan: 2005). Nevertheless, when writing my exptended interview feature regarding
Eric Borg's opinion about the government's changes to the university tuition fees, I was seriously
concerned about keeping my impartiality. Even though, I am about to graduate before any changes to the
university tuition fees have been made, becoming emotionally involved was too easy because I am a
student myself. As Will Rogers, a famous American actor, says: "Everything is funny as long as it is
happening to somebody else".

On the other hand, the words 'impartiality' and 'objectivity' have different meaning.
'Impartial reporting is normally defined as being neutral, while objective reporting is takend to be the
reporting of verifiable facts'. (Harcup: 2004: 61). According to McQuail, impartiality is a 'balance in the
choice and use of sources, so as to reflect different points of view, and also neutrality in the presentation
of news - separating facts from opinion, avoiding value judgements or emotive language or pictures'
(McQuail 2000: 321 in an analogy borrowed from Harcup: 2004).

It is noticable that through the course of my studyies in Coventry University my skills and knowledge has
progressed. However, there are still many skills and techniques that I have to master. One of the best
examples is my unwillingness to write news articles. It is still a big issue for me to write say things
straigthforward and being able to restrict myself to use any complicated words or terminology (Keeble:
2001; McKay: 2000; Sissons: 2006; Shoemaker: 2006). Also, I find it particularely hard to write about
something I am not personally interesting in.

However, Tony Harcup suggests that news values are frequency, threshold, unambiguity,
meaningfulness, consonance, unexpectedness, continuity, composion, composition, reference to elite
nations or people, and reference to something that is negative (Harcup: 2004: 30,31). Through my
experience so far I understood that writing news is actually quite enjoyable, finding the news itself - that is
what makes it hard.

Joan Clayton says that in order to be successful a writer first must have their work read (Clayton: 2000).
Clayton's book 'Journalism for beginners' explains that too many would-be journalists, as I consider
myself to be, live in blinkers because they see only the first part of the process which the book concludes
happens to be the writing. However, Clayton says that that type of 'newborn journalist' make that mistake
because 'they fail to see the second part' which is getting it read and publshed'. (Clayton: 2000: 4)

In that regard, during my first year of study I was overconcerned that maybe I should change my course
to something that I would be more capable of doing. They say "never judge the book by its cover" and
that is why I decided I should give myself a chance. With time I realised that journalism is anything but
what I thought it was. Journalism is creative (Clayton: 2000; Mckay: 2000; McLoughlin: 2000). It is
passionate (reference). There are hundreds of markets out there. There are many newspapers and
magazines (local, regional and national). It could be a market catering for specific careers, sports,
hobbies, leisure interests, nationalities, etc (Shoemaker: 2006; Hennessy: 2006; Wheller: 2009). I have
faight in me, and I believe that among those publications there are several just waiting for my
contributions and ability to work to a professional standard.

Journalism can be learnt (Machin: 2006; Alden: 2005). About the old povert "writers are born, not made" -
it is a bit of both. Theory, practice and more practice makes it possible to turn a person into a journalist
(Alden: 2005). When turned into a habit, you know you have become a part of the 'Fourth Estate' (i.e. the
term was firstly used by the Statesman Edmund Bruke first to recognise the immense power of the press
in the 1700s). All journalist have to engage themselves in routines and recurrent certain practices (e.g.
working to deadlines, keeping to word or time limits, conforming to house style, etc)( Clayton: 2000;
Harcup: 2004; Alden: 2005; Sissons: 2006; Randall: 2007).

On the other hand, there are yet some 'crafts' that are more of a personal characteristic rather than a skill
that could be mastered. For example, journalist must be reliable, preciced, organised, being able to
complete high-standard work on deadline, etc (Randall: 2007; Harcup: 2004; Sissons: 2006). I would
rather consider myself as a person who has those types of characteristics, even though some of my
teachers would rather doubt it.

When starting this course two years ago, I was not sure if I have made the right choice and if I would like
to go for a profession as a journalist. However, for the past two years I experienced many different
aspects of journalism and now I believe in myself, my skills, my potential. It has become more of a
passion than a job.

Untill my final year in university I have always thought that news is harder to write rather than feature
articles. However, I came to find that writing feature articles is not as simple as I thought. Writing features
is not same as writing an essay (
(Wheeler: 2009; Hennessy: 2006; Machin: 2006). As everything that exists has already been written
about dozens, even hundreds of times, a journalist working on a feature article needs to come up with a
really good angle in order to have their work published by editors (Machin: 2006; Phillips: 2006; Alden:
2005). For example, when writing my article regarding the Olympic Games instead of just writing
informative feature about the progress and work on the Village, or the usual 'national proud feature', I tried
to go beyond what was already out on the market.

Joan Clayton's definition of a journalism 'is going out and asking questions of other people, not merely
writing from your own experiences and book research' (Clayton: 2000). Besides background information
and news-gathering, journalism cannot be operated without interviewing. News and feature articles - 'it's a
piece with pertinent quotes' (Clayton: 2000: 118) Interviewing is what brings your piece of work to life. At
its core, journalism is mot about people and interviewing is what gives it a human interest (Alden: 2005;
Allan: 2005; Phillips: 2006). Interviewing is a tool that helps journalists to get a story, quotes, opinion and
background information (Adams: 2001).

However, interviewing is a skill that can be mastered. Besides the common things I already knew about
interviewing (e.g. a journalist must be well prepared, listen, encourage, use silence, persist, keep your
inteviewing talking, etc), I found that face-to-face interviews are the best way a journalist could get the
information needed. Unfortunately, more and more often journalist cannot afford themselves to 'waste
their time' as speed is essential to journalism or it just happens to be impossible to reach someone by
phone.

On the other hand, as Bill Thompson, the Guardian, says "It is easy to get people to reply to email". Of
course, there are certain limitations of email interviews (e.g. a list of the questions has to be provided so
the interviewee would have their time to prepare their anwers, body language and voice thember can also
help, etc), yet it is still better to have interviewed the person you have needed rather than count on a
'plain article'.

To me e-mail interviews are more of a comfort zone rather than a last chance to get quotes. Into his book
'The newspaper handbook' Richard Keeble says that 'it is common for people new to journalism to find
first concact with sources difficult'
(Keeble: 2006: 64). This year I finally put myself out there and overcome my fear. ' If journalism is a craft,
inteviewing is an art' (Adams: 2001: 5). Through my practice and experience learnt that face-to-face
interviews are simisalr to games. It is a role-play (Keeble: 2006; Adams: 2001; more reference). It is
important to always stay in control in order to 'win the game'. Thinking of it that way, made me more
comfident and pleased with my interviewing skills. I would say that I became flexible. 'Practice makes
perfect'. Yet again, if getting becomes impossible a good and reliable quotation search engine that
Richard Keeble suggests is www.quoteland.com. (Keeble: 2006: 56).

But what journalism is? It is a form of communication (Curran: 2000). At its basics, journalism is a force to
inform the society about itself (Harcup: 2004). It is a flow of information (Randall: 2007; Shoemaker: 2006;
Phillips: 2006; Machin: 2006; Brighton: 2007). But where do journalist get all that information from?

Since the arrival of new technology, the job has been through many changes, most of which positive. For
instanse, internet search engines enable journalists to find and track down information that previously
was impossible to access. There are countless specialist sites definetely worth ckecking out. One of the
many I have used myself while gathering information and doing background research are
www.altpress.org; www.biography.com; www.handbag.com; www.NewsDesk-UK.com;
pressgazette.co.uk; www.upmystreet.com, etc (Keeble: 2006).

A great source of information and finding news sotries could also be charity societies, community groups,
regulatory bodies, pubs, noticeboards, news releases, hospitals, council departments, etc. Information is
everywhere, all a journalists have to do is go, get it and transform it into their own 'masterpiece'(Harcup:
2004; Hicks: 2008; Shoemaker: 2006; Cole: 2010).

To me, journalism seems to be one of the most exciting jobs in this world. When working as a journalist
you get the chance to meet powerful, interesting and ispiring people, heroes, vilians and celebrities.
Journalists indeed inform the society about itself and are concerned with 'making public that which would
otherwise be private' (Harcup: 2004: 2). This profession gives a chance to be one of the first to know
something and to tell the world, as well as an opportunity to indulge one's passion for writing, travel and
knowledge.

From : 123helpme.com