JOURN 2100 1st Edition Lecture 5 Outline of Last Lecture I Meetings II Elements of Journalism III Strategies Outline of Current Lecture I We are covering news all the time II What is breaking news III What is the reporter s role IV Sources V Tips and Questions Current Lecture I We are covering news all the time a Not 24 7 anymore but 1440 minutes a day b Use what we have when we have it sometimes publish stories with one sentence c TV radio and newspaper websites compete directly more than ever d More video e More people participating via social media f II More opportunities for crowdsourcing What is breaking news a Ex terrorist attacks new government decision made These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute b It is important to have a plan when covering it c Why do we cover it i Basic human interest ii Public citizen reasons it will affect people s lives directly iii Give people context in their lives d How do we hear about it i Social media treat this like an unreliable source ii Police scanner iii Tipster via e mail or phone iv Source close to story v Paying attention to the world vi By knowing it is coming ahead of the news solid beat reporting vii From other news sources III What is the reporter s role a You need to balance the people s needs to have to know what is going on and helping people figure out what is true b Speed is the enemy of accuracy People will remember who was wrong more than they remember who broke the story c Dispel rumors directly because when news breaks misinformation is everywhere d Be careful and beat the competition i Know where you re going and strive to be safe ii Be where you can see and hear what is happening without trespassing or getting in the way iii Look for bystanding officials neighbors and people who might have a perspective iv Look for people directly involved who can talk If people are traumatized be sensitive and careful in approach IV Sources a People who saw what happened including you b People who have direct knowledge or expertise Make sure to ask how they know this information c When reports conflict from different sources acknowledge that you have conflicting information d Be careful about just picking up information through osmosis Be reflective not reflexive V Tips and Questions a Be prepared and always say yes to an opportunity b Move quickly and have your gear ready and charged at all times c Work well in a team d Get names numbers ages and addresses e Get quotes and details that you observed in order to capture intensity of event f Get whatever officials will release and keep checking back g Look for the unusual dig deeper leave with something no one else has h Tweet what you see and what you know i Ask i Do I have enough sources to verify this info ii Are these acceptable sources for breaking news iii Can I verify the credibility of this eyewitness iv Should I be transparent with what I know or don t know