US Army Journalist - Course - Survival Books

Lesson 1, Learning Event 2AUTHENTICITY AND ACCURACY -- No ethical reporter would fabricate astory, or make readers believe that something happened when it didnot. Additionally, reporters obtain their facts and informationfrom the most credible sources available, thus increasingauthenticity and accuracy. Reporters ensure that their articlesare meaningful and in agreement with reality. Errors in fact,mistakes, might be made by the inexperienced reporter. HOWEVER,THEY CAN'T BE TOLERATED. Accuracy is an unrelenting requirement,not only because the reputation of the reporter and newspaper areat stake, but because the reader demands the right to believe whathe reads.GOOD TASTE -- Good reporters display courtesy, good taste andrespect towards and on behalf of their audience through theirwriting. The reporter's copy will avoid vulgarities andobscenities. His reporting will be neither callous, nor hardenedor obnoxious. Professional reporters don't confuse complete,objective reporting with caustic or gory accounts of news events.MASS APPEAL -- One of the basic facets of news is that it be orworth to significant segments of the audience. Hass Appeal iscomprised of 10 elements; sometimes referred to as the "Elements ofNews."THE ELEMENTS OF NEWS1. IMMEDIACY -- Timeliness, as discussed above is an indispensablepart of the straight news story. Without timeliness, the newsstory is a historical record. In the Army, few Journalists writefor daily newspapers. Most write for weekly or biweeklypublications. That means breaking news will often be history bythe time it can be printed in their papers. Army journalists seekfresh angles, late-breaking developments, analysis of the eventsand their effects. When such angles aren't available, Armyjournalists treat the event in news-feature or feature styles.If the press reports that Congress approved a record defense bill,an army newspaper may have to wait days or even weeks to report onits installation's slice of the money. When this new developmentis available the paper has a timely news story.3