Vol 4 Unit 3 Flashcards
List five of the best sources from which reporters can gather news.
Meetings, events, Public Affairs representatives, stringers, and beats.
How can a reporter gather information from meetings and events?
Take notes, ask questions, and keep eyes and ears open.
What are stringers?
People other than UPARs who write stories for your paper or feed you information for stories.
How can UPARs help you gather news?
They see what’s happening in their unit and can provide stories and ideas for the base newspaper or website.
What information do you record in each UPAR’s reference file?
Name, squadron, duty title, phone number, and e-mail address.
What type of system is used when a reporter is assigned a list of offices to visit each week?
A beat system.
What publications can you use as an outline for assigning beats?
Base telephone directory and wing organizational chart.
What are two alternatives to basic news sources from which you can gather news?
Any two: Base telephone directory, the Force Support marketing specialist, other people, electronic media.
How can you use the base telephone directory to gather news?
Browse for ideas or behind-the-scenes organizations.
What is the Force Support marketing specialist’s duty?
Publicize all of the sporting events, tickets and tours, and outdoor recreation programs on the base.
How can the Force Support marketing specialist assist you in gathering the news?
Often times, the marketing specialist is willing to gather all of the services material and submit it to you in the proper format for publication.
As a reporter for your newspaper, who are some of the people you must get to know?
Commanders, staff agency chiefs, command chief master sergeants, first sergeants and local recruiting offices.
What can electronic news sources provide a Public Affairs reporter?
Story ideas, photos, and graphics support.
List the four steps in preparing for an interview.
1) Prepare; (2) devise a story angle; (3) write questions; and (4) make an appointment.
List eight items to research before you schedule an interview.
(1) The spelling of the person’s name; (2) the person’s title or rank; (3) the person’s background (where the person was before assuming the current position); (4) what has been written about the topic in newspaper articles before; (5) what has the person said about this topic before; (6) the air Force policy concerning the topic; (7) your commander’s position on the topic; and (8) other relevant details.
When developing a story angle (or peg), what four questions do you ask yourself?
(1) What will the story be about? (2) What information gaps remain after my research?; (3) What sources
must I interview?; and (4) What can each source tell me?
After conducting your research, what do you do to form your thinking and help prevent you from groping during the interview?
Write a trial lead or two.
How many questions should you prepare before going into the interview?
At least 10.
In what order do you write down your questions?
In a logical order.
Why do you make an appointment in advance for an interview?
People are busy in their jobs.
Why do you keep conversations with aides, secretaries, and so forth friendly and respectful?
To help ensure you get the interview.
Identify 10 interview techniques.
Any 10: prepare; be punctual; check your appearance; be respectful; state the purpose; ask your questions;
probe; be sensitive; be flexible and attentive; vary procedures; take good notes; leave gracefully.
What should you have ready when you leave for an interview?
All of your supplies and your questions.
What is a good way to relax your source in the opening of an interview?
Ask three or four easy questions.
If you are getting vague answers from a source, what do you need to do?
Ask follow-up questions to get more definite and useable story information.
What do you do if, during the course of an interview, a new angle becomes apparent which may
prove more interesting than the original plan?
Abandon your preplanned approach and follow the new angle.
Why should you take good notes, especially when you interview someone who is talking about numbers or highly technical information?
You can’t remember everything a source says.
Why do you review your notes immediately after an interview?
To fill in gaps and clarify your scribbling while the information is still fresh in your mind.
What determines the type of technique you use during an interview?
The subject’s temperament and your ability to adjust to each situation.
What does using an audio recorder during an interview help you do?
It helps you concentrate on what is being said rather than on taking notes.
If you discover your audio recorder stopped in the middle of the interview, what do you do?
Use your notes to fall back on.
What are the six advantages of using an audio recorder during an interview?
(1) They record everything; (2) they catch the words of fast talkers; (3) they allow you to capture the “mood” of a speaker; (4) you can concentrate on what is being said instead of just taking notes; (5) they help protect you from charges of misquoting someone; and (6) they help you improve your interviewing
techniques by providing immediate “feedback.”
List the seven disadvantages of using an audio recorder.
(1) The tape cannot be “read” easily; (2) recorders pick up all sounds; (3) recorders are not always available; (4) recorders are subject to dead batteries, mechanical failures, and other problems; (5) electrical generators and broadcasting equipment can make recorders useless; (6) the source may refuse to speak in
the presence of a recorder; and (7) all persons present must agree to allow you to use the recorder.
What is the policy for use of an audio recorder in a meeting or during a phone interview?
Everyone in the meeting must agree to you using an audio recorder. If even one person objects, you may be legally prohibited from doing so.
What type of news comprises the bulk of your base newspaper or website’s content?
Local.
What types of articles does the Air Force newspaper or website carry for balanced and comprehensive coverage?
News, features, commentaries, sports and entertainment from local, command, Air force, and Department of Defense sources.
What type of reporting is inappropriate for base Public Affairs reporters?
Investigative reporting.
What three characteristics does an editor use to determine news value?
Authenticity, good taste, and mass appeal.
Placing the most important element of a story at the beginning is an example of what type of writing style?
Inverted pyramid.
In the inverted pyramid writing style, how do you present facts?
In descending order of importance.
What does the widest part of the inverted pyramid represent—the lead sentence or the closing sentence?
Lead sentence.
What are three important advantages of the inverted pyramid style of writing?
(1) It highlights the news, thus acting as a news bulleting for each item. (2) Having the main idea of an article confined to a single sentence or paragraph at the very beginning helps headline writers and editors by allowing them to write a headline without reading the entire story. (3) It allows the editor to cut copy from the bottom, while preserving the essence of the story.
What is the most important sentence in a news story?
The lead (opening) sentence.
On what factor does lead emphasis depend?
The element you choose to feature.
What variation of the “Who” lead are you using when you identify the people or organization in the bridge?
Impersonal who.
Compile four questions that you may use as a self-test to check the effectiveness of your leads.
(1) Can your lead stand along? (2) Is your lead conclusive? (3) Does your lead suggest a good headline? and (4) Is your lead authenticated?
