The Universal Journalist
Inhoudsopgave
1. What Makes a Good Reporter? ................................................................................................... 1
2. The Limitations of Journalism...................................................................................................... 4
3. What is News? ............................................................................................................................ 6
4. Where do good stories come from? ............................................................................................ 9
5. Research ................................................................................................................................... 13
6. Handling Sources, Not Them Handling You ............................................................................... 17
7. Questioning .............................................................................................................................. 20
8. Reporting numbers and statistics .............................................................................................. 26
9. Investigative reporting .............................................................................................................. 31
10. How to cover major incidents ................................................................................................. 34
11. Mistakes, corrections and hoaxes ........................................................................................... 35
12. Ethics ...................................................................................................................................... 38
13. Writing for Newspapers .......................................................................................................... 41
14. Intros ...................................................................................................................................... 47
15. Construction and Description .................................................................................................. 50
16. Handling quotes ...................................................................................................................... 54
17. Different ways to tell a story ................................................................................................... 57
18. Comment, intentional and otherwise ...................................................................................... 59
19. How To Be a Great Reporter ................................................................................................... 61
, The Universal Journalist
1. What Makes a Good Reporter?
alternative to reporters
- accept the authorised version, the one the businesses, bureaucrats and politicians choose to
give us
'censorship by death'
- 2005: 63 killed (for getting too close to the truth), 807 arrested, 1.308 attacked or threatened
journalists
- discover and publish information that replaces rumour and speculation
- resist or evade (=ontwijken) government controls
- inform, and so empower, voters
- subvert (=ondermijnen) those whose authority relies on a lack of public information
- scrutinise (=onderzoeken) the action and inaction of governments, elected representatives and
public services
- scrutinise businesses, their treatment of workers and customers, and the quality of their
products
- comfort the afflicted (=gekwelden) and afflict the comfortable, providing a voice for those who
cannot normally be heard in public
- hold up a mirror to society, reflecting its virtues (=deugden) and vices (=ondeugden) and also
debunking (=ontmaskeren) its cherished (=gekoesterde) myths
- ensure that justice is done, is seen to be done and investigations carried out where this is not so
- promote the free exchange of ideas, especially by providing a platform for those with
philosophies alternative to the prevailing ones
attitudes
- liberary ability is only part of the job, and often not the largest part
- neither is good reporting a matter of aquiring a little bag of thicks and tools, out of which the
appropriate one is selected according to circumstance
- the most important equipment reporters have is that which is carried around between their
ears; some attitudes are instinctive, other are learned quickly, but most are built up through
years of experience, by researching and writing, re-researching and re-writing hundreds and
hundreds of stories
- reporting is one of those trades that you learn by making mistakes
keen news sense
- in the positive sense of knowing what makes a good story and the ability to find the essential
news point in a mass of dross (=afval)
- in the negative sense of not wasting time by pursuing stories that will never amount to much
_______________________________________________________________________________
versie 1.0 | maart 2014 | door Jasper Verkroost 1
,- if you don't have a news sense, or have it but don't use it, you will miss things and make a fool
of yourself
passion for precision
- recording and writing accurately what people tell you
- taking care that however accurate each little part of your story, the whole thing is true of the
spirit and atmosphere of the situation or events, which means adding background and context
- not falling into the dangerous and widespread habit of sying "Well if that happened and the
other happened, then this other thing must be true." You should not wish but report your
stories into print. If there are any gaps in a sequence of events that you are reporting, find out
precisely what it missing.
determination to find out
- determination not to be defeated by a few unanswered phone calls or stonewalling
(=tegenwerkende) sources is a hallmark (=keurmerk) of the decent reporter. What makes them
a good one is the determination to go that little further (or longer) to get the story.
never make assumptions
- the great problem with assumptions is that most of them turn out to be correct, that is what
makes them so dangerous and tempting. Play safe and only report hat you know, not what you
think you know.
never be afraid to look stupid
- if you don't know: ask, if you don't understand: request and explanation, don't worry if anyone
laughs at you. The really stupid reporters are the ones who pretend to know. The place to show
your ignorance is when questioning people, not on paper in your subsequent story.
be suspicious of all sources
- why is this person telling me this? What is their motive? And are they really in a position to
know what they claim to know?
being resourceful
- using your wits (=verstand) and charm to overcome obstacles is part of the fun of reporting.
leave your prejudices at home
- reporters should accurately relate what happened, not strain everything to the sieve (=zeef) of
their own prejudices, cultured and intelligent though they imagine these to be
- don't let opinions you form early on in the research prematurely colour your judgement of the
story
realise you are part of a process
- reporters are subject to what editors want, in the end you have to accept their decision
- a lot of reporters think it is somehow a mark of literary talent in full flower to be late and over
length. It is not, it is the sign of an unreliable amateur.
_______________________________________________________________________________
versie 1.0 | maart 2014 | door Jasper Verkroost 2
, empathy with readers
- people will read your story if you consider them when you write, but especially when you
research. What will readers want to know? What do they need explained? Find anecdotes, shwo
how the events will impact on readers' lives, or impact on other lives, use examples that will be
relevant to their own experience. Above all, where possible, tell the story in terms of real
people.
the will to win
- you need a strong desire to beat whatever circumstances are strewn (=uitgestrooid) in your
path, get to the story, and then file as fast a possible
- on most occasions, a reporter's desire to get to the story will always bring rewards
sense of urgency
- newspapers want their reporters to file the earliest and fullest account of a story that they can
get. A little healthy (or even unhealthy) competitionto be first is part of the reality, and fun of
the job. And it serves readers as well, just so long as not too many corners are cut.
taking pleasure in beating the opposition
- beating the opposition to be first with the story is part fun of the job
being professional
- this is the opposite of taking the attitude 'that will do', and it means learning to be as efficient,
thorough, and fast as your talents will allow.
individuality
- good reporters should always be prepared to strike outon their own when necessary, to go
where no one else is going, and when it does not work out take the flak (take the flak = scherpe
kritiek ontvangen). They are ready to spurn (=verachten) pre-digested meals from the official
spoon because they know there is something far more tastier to be found if only they go
foraging for themselves.
character
- to be good or great you must have real talent and flair for either research, or writing, or both
- determination: e.g. when a piece of information is difficult to find
- cheek (=brutaliteit): never be afraid to ask
- passion and sense of injustice (=onrecht), give a voice to those who do not have one
- impartiality (=onpartijdigheid)
- enthusiasm: make the best of the unpromising-looking story
- curiosity: ask questions, constantly, have an interest in anything and everything
quote
Whenever you find hundreds and thousands of sane people trying to get out of a place and a little
bunch of madmen trying to get in, you know the latter are reporters (H.R. Knickerbocker)
_______________________________________________________________________________
versie 1.0 | maart 2014 | door Jasper Verkroost 3
Inhoudsopgave
1. What Makes a Good Reporter? ................................................................................................... 1
2. The Limitations of Journalism...................................................................................................... 4
3. What is News? ............................................................................................................................ 6
4. Where do good stories come from? ............................................................................................ 9
5. Research ................................................................................................................................... 13
6. Handling Sources, Not Them Handling You ............................................................................... 17
7. Questioning .............................................................................................................................. 20
8. Reporting numbers and statistics .............................................................................................. 26
9. Investigative reporting .............................................................................................................. 31
10. How to cover major incidents ................................................................................................. 34
11. Mistakes, corrections and hoaxes ........................................................................................... 35
12. Ethics ...................................................................................................................................... 38
13. Writing for Newspapers .......................................................................................................... 41
14. Intros ...................................................................................................................................... 47
15. Construction and Description .................................................................................................. 50
16. Handling quotes ...................................................................................................................... 54
17. Different ways to tell a story ................................................................................................... 57
18. Comment, intentional and otherwise ...................................................................................... 59
19. How To Be a Great Reporter ................................................................................................... 61
, The Universal Journalist
1. What Makes a Good Reporter?
alternative to reporters
- accept the authorised version, the one the businesses, bureaucrats and politicians choose to
give us
'censorship by death'
- 2005: 63 killed (for getting too close to the truth), 807 arrested, 1.308 attacked or threatened
journalists
- discover and publish information that replaces rumour and speculation
- resist or evade (=ontwijken) government controls
- inform, and so empower, voters
- subvert (=ondermijnen) those whose authority relies on a lack of public information
- scrutinise (=onderzoeken) the action and inaction of governments, elected representatives and
public services
- scrutinise businesses, their treatment of workers and customers, and the quality of their
products
- comfort the afflicted (=gekwelden) and afflict the comfortable, providing a voice for those who
cannot normally be heard in public
- hold up a mirror to society, reflecting its virtues (=deugden) and vices (=ondeugden) and also
debunking (=ontmaskeren) its cherished (=gekoesterde) myths
- ensure that justice is done, is seen to be done and investigations carried out where this is not so
- promote the free exchange of ideas, especially by providing a platform for those with
philosophies alternative to the prevailing ones
attitudes
- liberary ability is only part of the job, and often not the largest part
- neither is good reporting a matter of aquiring a little bag of thicks and tools, out of which the
appropriate one is selected according to circumstance
- the most important equipment reporters have is that which is carried around between their
ears; some attitudes are instinctive, other are learned quickly, but most are built up through
years of experience, by researching and writing, re-researching and re-writing hundreds and
hundreds of stories
- reporting is one of those trades that you learn by making mistakes
keen news sense
- in the positive sense of knowing what makes a good story and the ability to find the essential
news point in a mass of dross (=afval)
- in the negative sense of not wasting time by pursuing stories that will never amount to much
_______________________________________________________________________________
versie 1.0 | maart 2014 | door Jasper Verkroost 1
,- if you don't have a news sense, or have it but don't use it, you will miss things and make a fool
of yourself
passion for precision
- recording and writing accurately what people tell you
- taking care that however accurate each little part of your story, the whole thing is true of the
spirit and atmosphere of the situation or events, which means adding background and context
- not falling into the dangerous and widespread habit of sying "Well if that happened and the
other happened, then this other thing must be true." You should not wish but report your
stories into print. If there are any gaps in a sequence of events that you are reporting, find out
precisely what it missing.
determination to find out
- determination not to be defeated by a few unanswered phone calls or stonewalling
(=tegenwerkende) sources is a hallmark (=keurmerk) of the decent reporter. What makes them
a good one is the determination to go that little further (or longer) to get the story.
never make assumptions
- the great problem with assumptions is that most of them turn out to be correct, that is what
makes them so dangerous and tempting. Play safe and only report hat you know, not what you
think you know.
never be afraid to look stupid
- if you don't know: ask, if you don't understand: request and explanation, don't worry if anyone
laughs at you. The really stupid reporters are the ones who pretend to know. The place to show
your ignorance is when questioning people, not on paper in your subsequent story.
be suspicious of all sources
- why is this person telling me this? What is their motive? And are they really in a position to
know what they claim to know?
being resourceful
- using your wits (=verstand) and charm to overcome obstacles is part of the fun of reporting.
leave your prejudices at home
- reporters should accurately relate what happened, not strain everything to the sieve (=zeef) of
their own prejudices, cultured and intelligent though they imagine these to be
- don't let opinions you form early on in the research prematurely colour your judgement of the
story
realise you are part of a process
- reporters are subject to what editors want, in the end you have to accept their decision
- a lot of reporters think it is somehow a mark of literary talent in full flower to be late and over
length. It is not, it is the sign of an unreliable amateur.
_______________________________________________________________________________
versie 1.0 | maart 2014 | door Jasper Verkroost 2
, empathy with readers
- people will read your story if you consider them when you write, but especially when you
research. What will readers want to know? What do they need explained? Find anecdotes, shwo
how the events will impact on readers' lives, or impact on other lives, use examples that will be
relevant to their own experience. Above all, where possible, tell the story in terms of real
people.
the will to win
- you need a strong desire to beat whatever circumstances are strewn (=uitgestrooid) in your
path, get to the story, and then file as fast a possible
- on most occasions, a reporter's desire to get to the story will always bring rewards
sense of urgency
- newspapers want their reporters to file the earliest and fullest account of a story that they can
get. A little healthy (or even unhealthy) competitionto be first is part of the reality, and fun of
the job. And it serves readers as well, just so long as not too many corners are cut.
taking pleasure in beating the opposition
- beating the opposition to be first with the story is part fun of the job
being professional
- this is the opposite of taking the attitude 'that will do', and it means learning to be as efficient,
thorough, and fast as your talents will allow.
individuality
- good reporters should always be prepared to strike outon their own when necessary, to go
where no one else is going, and when it does not work out take the flak (take the flak = scherpe
kritiek ontvangen). They are ready to spurn (=verachten) pre-digested meals from the official
spoon because they know there is something far more tastier to be found if only they go
foraging for themselves.
character
- to be good or great you must have real talent and flair for either research, or writing, or both
- determination: e.g. when a piece of information is difficult to find
- cheek (=brutaliteit): never be afraid to ask
- passion and sense of injustice (=onrecht), give a voice to those who do not have one
- impartiality (=onpartijdigheid)
- enthusiasm: make the best of the unpromising-looking story
- curiosity: ask questions, constantly, have an interest in anything and everything
quote
Whenever you find hundreds and thousands of sane people trying to get out of a place and a little
bunch of madmen trying to get in, you know the latter are reporters (H.R. Knickerbocker)
_______________________________________________________________________________
versie 1.0 | maart 2014 | door Jasper Verkroost 3
