Journalism glossary Flashcards
advertorial
where distinction between editorial and advertising becomes blurred
agencies
main news agencies (supplying both stories and pictures) are PA, Reuters, Agence France Presse, Itar-‐Tass, Associated Press. Also large number of smaller agencies serving specialist and general fields. Copy (known as wire copy) arrives in newspaper offices from them on computer screens or occasionally on teleprinters
agony aunt
women who offer advice to people who write in to newspapers with
personal/emotional problems
Agony uncle: male equivalent. Not many of these around but likely to grow in number
alternative press
loose term incorporating wide variety of non-‐mainstream
newspapers. Can include left press (Tribune, Socialist Worker etc.), religious press (Catholic Herald, Church Times, Q News), ethnic press (Asian Times, Voice), municipal press, trade union publications
ambush interview
when an interviewee is surprised by suddenly different line of
questioning or by the sudden appearance of journalist (or group of journalists). Has theatrical flavour when done on television. Generally only done when reporters are convinced they are dealing with crook or hypocrite whose “crimes” it is important to expose
angle
main point stressed in story usually in intro. US: peg
artwork
all illustrations, maps, charts, cartoons that accompany copy
attachment/internship (US)
time spent by student journalists training (or occasionally just observing) at media organisation
attribution
linking information or quote to original source
backbench
group of top level journalists who meet to decide the overall shape
and emphases in that day’s newspaper. Positioning of important pictures, choice of page leads, subject and angle of editorial comments will be among their decisions
background
section of news or feature story carrying information which serves to
contextualise main elements. Varies in length and positioning though most news stories will contain only small amount of background detail while length of features often allows them to carry longer background sections. Also, in computer jargon, indicates hyphenation and justification system is operating while copy is being input
back issue
previous issue of paper
banner
front page headline extending across full page
baron
newspaper proprietor (e.g. Murdoch, Black, Maxwell, Rothermere). other words : mogul, magnate, boss
body
copy following intro.
boil down
shorten copy
box
copy with rules around all four sides
break
moment when news story emerges. But bad break refers to ugly-‐ looking hyphenation at end of line of text
broadsheet
large-‐size newspaper such as Daily Telegraph, The Times, Financial
Times, Guardian, as opposed to tabloid (see below)
bureau
newspaper office in foreign country
by-line
gives name of journalist/s who has/have written article.
Otherwise called credit line. (Subs often call this the blame-‐line.) When it appears at end of story known as sign off
calls (sometimes known as check calls)
routine telephone calls (but sometimes by face-‐to-‐face visits) by reporters to such bodies as police, ambulance, hospitals, fire brigade to check if any news is breaking
campaigning journalism
overtly partisan journalism promoting particular cause: e.g. greener
Britain; save Bart’s hospital; restore David Gower to England cricket side. US: advocacy journalism
caption
words accompanying any picture or artwork. Basic details are supplied by photographer. Final content of the caption is compiled by sub-‐editor (see below). A caption amounting to a small story is a caption story
casual
journalist employed by a newspaper only on temporary basis. Since it’s cheaper for employers, numbers growing
catchline
usually single word identifying story which is typed in right hand corner of every page. Sub-‐editor will tend to use this word to identify story on layout. US: slug
centre spread
copy and pictures running over two pages in centre of newspaper
chequebook journalism
activity in which newspapers compete to purchase rights to
someone’s story, e.g. mistress of minister. Figure can reach phenomenal levels when person’s story considered of high news value. Some newspapers routinely offer much smaller amounts of money to people in exchange for information
city desk
section of newspaper running the financial page/s
classified
small ads classified according to subject area and carrying no illustrations
clips/clippings/cuttings
stories cut from newspapers and usually filed. Most newspapers have cuttings libraries to assist journalists’ research activities. Individual journalists usually have their own cuttings files
columnist
journalist who provides comment in regular series of articles. Usually
adopts individual writing style
contact
journalist’s source
copy
editorial material. Hard copy refers to editorial material typed on paper
correspondent
usually refers to journalist working in specialist areas, e.g. transport,
education, defence. Particularly used with reference to foreign assignments, e.g. Moscow correspondent, Cairo correspondent
cross ref
indication that story continues or begins on another page
club reporter
trainee
cut
remove copy from script, screen or page proof
deadline
time by which copy is expected to be submitted
desks
departments of newspapers are often known in terms of desks; thus picture desk; news desk; features desk etc.
dig
to do deep research
display ads
large advertisements usually containing illustrations (cf. classified
ads) and appearing on editorial pages. Advertising department will organise the distribution of ads throughout the newspaper which is usually indicated on a dummy (see below) handed to the sub-‐editors before layout of paper begins
dummy
small version of editorial pages used for planning overall contents of newspaper and usually containing details of display advertising.
Dummy will often be considered at early news conference where decisions on newspaper size and advertisement distribution are made
editor
person in overall charge of the editorial content of the newspaper
editorial
(1) all non-‐advertising copy
(2) column in which newspaper expresses its own views on issues (sometimes known as leader)
embargo
time (often found on press releases) before which information should not be published. System based on trust between source and media outlet. Some newspapers, however, have habit of breaking embargoes -‐ and attracting considerable publicity (good and bad) in process
exclusive
story supposedly uniquely carried by newspaper. Vast number of stories in every newspaper would qualify for this description so should really be limited to few major stories. Description becomes devalued when attached to stories too frequently or when the same story is carried in other newspapers on the same day (as often happens) (see below scoop)
eye-witness reporting
presence of reporter at news event can provide unique opportunities for writing descriptive, colourful copy
fact file
listing of facts (often boxed) relating to story. Useful way of creating visual and copy variety on page
feauture
as distinct from news story tends to be longer, carry more background information, colour, wider range of sources and journalist’s opinion can be prominent
Fleet street
though most newspapers have dispersed from this street in East
London between the Strand and St Paul’s Cathedral, national newspapers as a collective group are still known by this name, Often known as Street of Shame
Fourth Estate
press supposedly occupying the position of fourth most powerful
institution after Lords Spiritual, Lords Temporal and Commons. (Lord Macaulay: “The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm.”)
freebie
range of services and entertainments (e.g. drinks, meals, trips abroad funded by governments/tourist organisations, transport companies, tickets to concerts, theatres) provided free to journalists. Some journalists believe acceptance of freebies compromises “objectivity” and refuse to accept them
freelance
journalist contributing to several media outlets and not on permanent staff of any one organisation (increasingly a euphemism for unemployed). Freelancer in US
gutter press
sometimes applied to the tabloid press
hamper
a story displayed horizontally usually at the top of a page
handouts
a story sent to media outlets by a press relations office of an organization or a PR company
hard copy
copy typed on sheets of paper (usually A4 size). Each page is known as a folio
hard news
news focusing on who, what, where, when, why based on factual detail and quotes and containing little description, journalist comment or analysis. Cf. soft news (see below)
heavies
broadsheet “serious” papers such as the Guardian, The Times,
Financial Times
human interest story
a story focusing on success, failures, tragedies, emotional/sexual histories of people. It eliminates or marginalises more abstract and deeper cultural, economic, political, class-‐based factors
indent
an abbreviation for indentation: providing white space at the start or end of a line
index
the front page (or sometimes elsewhere) listing of stories in the rest of a paper. To ease reading and “sell”/”flag” the contents in a prominent place
intro
the opening of a news/feature story usually containing the main angle (see above). Not necessarily just single a par(agraph). (see below). Also known as lead. US: nose
inverted pyramid
the traditional representation of news stories (with main point at start and information declining in news value after that and ending with a short background). It tends to oversimplify the structure of a news story. It’s better to imagine a series of inverted pyramids within an overall, large pyramid
investigative reporting
in one respect all journalism involves investigation. But investigative reporting tends to reveal something of social/political significance which someone powerful or famous wants hidden. US investigative reporters are known as muckrakers
issue
all copies of a day’s paper and its editions
kill
to decide not to use (or drop) story/feature. Newspapers are supposed to pay “kill fee” when they break an agreement to use freelance copy
lead [Èliùd]
the main story on a page. On the front page it’s otherwise known as splash
leader
see editorial
lineage [ÈlIni,IdZ]
a payment to freelancers based on the number of lines of copy used
lobby
specialist group of correspondents reporting about the House of Commons
masthead
a newspaper’s title on page one
middle-market
newspapers such as Mail and Express which lie (in terms of overall style and appearance) between heavies and pops
mole
a secret source of an investigative journalist buried deep in the heart of an organisation whose activities they are prepared to reveal
moonlighter
a journalist who works during the evening for a media organisation while holding another full-‐time post during the day.
mug shot
a photo showing just the face (and sometimes shoulders). Otherwise known as head and shoulders
obit
the abbreviation for obituary, an account and appreciation of life. For famous people usually prepared in anticipation of their death
off the record
when statements are made not for publication but for background only. Information derived from comments should in no way be traceable back to its source
on the record
when there are no restrictions on reporting what is said
opinion piece
an article in which the journalist expresses an overt opinion
PA
the abbreviation for Press Association which supplies national news and a features service (as well as an international service from its link-‐ up with Reuters) to most national and local papers
pack
a collection of journalists (sometimes known as rat pack)
paparazzi
a horde of photographers
par.
the abbreviation for paragraph. Also para
pay-off
the last paragraph with a twist or a flourish
press release
an announcement made by an organisation especially for use by the media
probe
an investigation
proof
the print-‐out of a part or the whole of page. This proof is read, corrected where necessary and the amended page (the revise) is then ready for final printing.
quote
(1) the abbreviation for quotation;
(2) when a reporter files copy over the phone “quote” then means first inverted commas. End quote marks are often known as “unquote”.
readership
the number of people who read a paper as opposed to the number of copies sold
retrospective
a feature looking back on an event
re-vamp, revamp
to change a story or a page in the light of new material
re-write, rewrite
to use information provided in a story but compose it in completely new language. Known as a re-‐write (rewrite) job
ring-round
a story based on a series of telephone calls
roving reporter
a reporter who travels around a lot
RSI
the abbreviation for ‘repetitive strain injury’.
It’s a painful medical condition which can cause damage to the hands, wrists, upper arms and backs especially of people who use computers and other forms of keyboard
running story
a story which runs/develops over a number of editions or days
scoop
an exlusive story
streamer
an exclamation mark (usually in a headline)
section
a separately-‐folded part of the paper
sexy story
a story with popular appeal.
sign-off
the by-line at the foot of a story
silly season
supposedly a time (usually in the summer holiday period) when little hard news is around and the press is reduced to covering trivia. For some newspapers the silly season can last a long time. Wars and invasions often happen in the silly season too
sister paper
when a company owns more than one newspaper, each is described as sister. Thus The Times is the Sun’s sister paper since both are owned by Rupert Murdoch
soft news
a light news story that can be more colourful, witty, commenty than the hard news story (see above)
spike
to reject copy or other information (e.g. press release) Derived from an old metal spike which stood on a wooden base on which subs would stick unwanted material. It had the advantage over “binning” since the material was accessible so long as it remained on the spike
splash
the lead news story on the front page
standfirst
the text intended to be read between the headline and the story, which can elaborate on the point made in the main headline, add a new one, raise a question which will be answered in the story (a teaser). Sometimes contains the by-‐line. It helps provide the reader with a “guiding hand” into reading a large slice of copy – thus mainly used for features and occasionally for long news stories
stop press
a column on the back page of a newspaper left blank and allowing for slotting in news which had broken just before publication
stringer
a freelance (or : freelancer), either in provinces, in London or overseas, who has come to an arrangement with a news organisation to supply copy on an agreed basis. A super-‐stringer will contract to devote most of his time working for one organisation but still be free to freelance for other media outlets for the rest of the time
style
special rules adopted by newspaper relating to spelling, punctuation, abbreviations. It’s often contained within a stylebook though increasingly carried on screens. Some newspapers somehow survive without them
sub-editor/sub
the person responsible for editing reporters’ copy, writing headlines, captions, laying out pages etc. The stone sub makes final corrections and cuts on page proofs
tabloid
a newspaper whose pages are roughly half the size of a broadsheet. All popular papers are tabloids, as are sections of some of heavies (e.g. Guardian2; Independent on Sunday’s finance section). Despite their popularity, the term ‘tabloid’ is often used as a term of abuse when the press collectively are criticised. Serious tabloids exist on the Continent (Libération and Le Monde, in France, and De Standaard in Belgium for instance)
tabloidese
shoddy, over-‐sensational, cliché-‐ridden copy most commonly associated with the tabloids
think piece
an analytical article
tip-off
information supplied to a newspaper by a member of the public
wall newspaper
journalism training schools often produce wall newspapers when final pages are produced but not sent away to be published. Simply stuck on walls. In some countries (e.g. China) newspapers gained most of their readership through being pinned to walls in public places
whistle-blower
a person revealing newsworthy and previously secret information to the press
widow
a short line left at the top of a page or a column (to be avoided)
