US Army Journalist - Course - Survival Books
US Army Journalist - Course - Survival Books 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
Lesson 1, Learning Event 22. PROXIMITY -- News events may occur close to readers in both thephysical and psychological sense. The most important person in theworld is the individual reader. Write about what he thinks ordoes, and his attention is guaranteed. Write about his family,friends, church, club, hobbies, career or city and his attentionwill be captured in varying degrees. The automobile accident infront of his home is more important than one across town. Theaccident, in another state, which involves his family is moreimportant than the one in front of his home.If a servicewide event taxes place, you must localize it --tell howit affects the folks at your post. If the defense appropriationsbill is approved in Washington, D.C., how will it affect the budgetof your post? Localize. Don't just take "canned" material fromDepartment of Defense or Department of the Army news services.All too often a story is taken directly from the news services andused without being localized. Doing this cheats the reader. Ifthe story has an Army-wide interest it should also have a localangle as well. Find it. Write about it. Tie it in with the newsservice story and publish it.3. CONSEQUENCE -- The more people affected by a news event thegreater consequence it has for the readership. The journalist'sjob is to discover and report how readers will be affected, and nowlong they will be affected.If the water main to one street of houses bursts, the consequenceis great for those living on the street, but negligible for therest of your readers. Such a story might be reported on the insidepages with a few short paragraphs.Let the post's central water main burst and its consequence willthrow the story to page one.4. PROMINENCE -- When PFC Cruit has a gall stone attack, it haslittle news value. Let the same thing happen to a footballquarterback the night before he's to start in the Super bowl, andit's newsworthy. If PFC Cruit says cigarettes should not be soldin commissaries, no one listens. Let the commander of the TroopSupport Agency (which controls commissaries) even hint that he isconsidering such a ban and people want to know what he said and whyhe said it.4
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Lesson 1, Learning Event 22. PROXIMITY -- News events may occur close to readers in both thephysical and psychological sense. The most important person in theworld is the individual reader. Write about what he thinks ordoes, and his attention is guaranteed. Write about his family,friends, church, club, hobbies, career or city and his attentionwill be captured in varying degrees. The automobile accident infront of his home is more important than one across town. Theaccident, in another state, which involves his family is moreimportant than the one in front of his home.If a servicewide event taxes place, you must localize it --tell howit affects the folks at your post. If the defense appropriationsbill is approved in Washington, D.C., how will it affect the budgetof your post? Localize. Don't just take "canned" material fromDepartment of Defense or Department of the <strong>Army</strong> news services.All too often a story is taken directly from the news services andused without being localized. Doing this cheats the reader. Ifthe story has an <strong>Army</strong>-wide interest it should also have a localangle as well. Find it. Write about it. Tie it in with the newsservice story and publish it.3. CONSEQUENCE -- The more people affected by a news event thegreater consequence it has for the readership. The journalist'sjob is to discover and report how readers will be affected, and nowlong they will be affected.If the water main to one street of houses bursts, the consequenceis great for those living on the street, but negligible for therest of your readers. Such a story might be reported on the insidepages with a few short paragraphs.Let the post's central water main burst and its consequence willthrow the story to page one.4. PROMINENCE -- When PFC Cruit has a gall stone attack, it haslittle news value. Let the same thing happen to a footballquarterback the night before he's to start in the Super bowl, andit's newsworthy. If PFC Cruit says cigarettes should not be soldin commissaries, no one listens. Let the commander of the TroopSupport Agency (which controls commissaries) even hint that he isconsidering such a ban and people want to know what he said and whyhe said it.4
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