NEWS FEATURES, NEWS ANALYSIS AND BACKGROUNDERS

Writing new stories follows two major principles- facts and only facts can be given, and the inverted pyramid structure of writing is often always strictly followed.

Both these principles have helped journalism to be taken with credibility by the masses. People absorb information and facts in order of relevance and importance and then make their own opinions. These principles have withstood the tests of times and are still followed quite religiously.

But it is also true that these principles also put restrictions on the creativity of the news writers and reporters. Moreover, there is also a felt and expressed need for variety both in style and content in news presentation. In newspapers, these needs are met through different types of writings.

Three kinds of writing ups that are primarily concerned with presentation of information and facts in different manners will be discussed in this lesson. These are: News Features, News Analysis, and Backgrounders.

NEW FEATURES:

News features deal with both information and facts. Only the news features are written in a more interesting manner. In news features, the presentation may be dramatic and major information may be revealed after creating some suspense or after creating a receptive environment.

STYLE IN NEWS FEATURES:

Compared to the rigid and straightforward style of news writing, news feature writing is relaxed and informal. The people in the story become the actors and they are made to convey to the readers. Their words are used to recreate the scene in the minds of the people. The story is made to move ahead with quotes and incidents. Even dialogue can be used and actors in the news story can be presented as interacting among themselves.

Realistic dialogue fascinates the readers. Verbs that create pictures in the minds of readers are useful. In many cases present tense is used to give the reader a sense of continuing action.

In nutshell, it can be said that, for writing news features the objective is to make it interesting and readable as far as possible but without compromising on the basic premise that objectivity and balance have to be maintained. The objective still remains to inform and not to educate or persuade.

INTRO (LEAD) IN NEWS FEATURES:

In news features, the most important information is normally not given in the beginning. Delayed leads are recommended. An anecdote or incident can be the beginning. The lead has to convey urgency, something so curious or provocative that the readers will have to read the rest of the story. Possibilities for writing leads for news features are endless and each story will also have many possible leads.

The writer has to make use of his or her creative abilities to the maximum. It has been said that lead should be shouting: ‘Hey, you can’t leave me! Stop and read me!’

At the same time the lead should be in tune with the main story. If the lead promises too much and the story does not deliver, the reader feels cheated.

BODY IN NEWS FEATURES:

News features more or less follow the chronological order of story-telling. All important pieces of information are covered. These can be given in an imaginative manner using quotes, dialogue and picture making verbs.

Selection of information is the essence of a news feature. Every piece of information that is with the writer need not be given. News features may not need a conclusion, as there are possibilities that while concluding the writer’s opinion may creep into it.

The Wall Street Journal, a leading US newspaper, gives the following instructions to its journalists to write news features.

Beginning: Start with an anecdote or illustration of the theme.

Theme: Shortly after the beginning, state the main point of the piece. Don’t drop the main point much lower.

Body: Provide details that elaborate the theme. Tell the reader what ishappening, why and what’s being done about the situation.

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING NEWS FEATURES:

Here are some guidelines for writing effective news features:

o Practice the art of writing interestingly.

o Collect information from a wide variety of sources including official files, reports, archives, and interviewing and observing.

o Before beginning to work upon a news feature learn to search for the background information. This will prepare a ground for your work and in getting relevant information. Learning in advance about persons who are to be interviewed helps in asking suitable questions.

o Every news feature writer has to have very sharp and a keen ability to observe. Clothes, language, articles, persons around, mood and many things need to be taken note of to put the entire situation in a context.

o Take extensive notes. Note down even those details, which may seem to be unimportant. Journalists normally keep small notepads with them, many journalist use tape recorders.

o While seeking information formally or informally ask as many questions as possible. If the reporter fails to understand a certain point, he should not hesitate to ask for explanation.

o Write draft news feature as soon as you get the time. Delay only adds to loss of information and interest. Write another draft. Discuss with others and improve. With every rewriting the feature will improve.

o Check the facts, figures and spellings of places and persons carefully.

o Add pictures and graphics depending upon availability and suitability.

o News features are mostly about people and are always for people. Use quotations, and paraphrases in the story so that it appears that sources are communicating with the readers.

 Example-1:

One of the stories people tell about Abdul Rahim is that he handed over a terrorist to the police. He is petty shopkeeper in the suburbs of Srinagar. The terrorist he handed over to the police was his own son, Parvez. ‘When my own children do wrong, I don’t protect them. The law must be respected.”

Abdul has two sons. The younger one is visually handicapped and lives with the family, mother and two young daughters. “I would rather see Parvez behind bars than someone to call me to identify his body in a morgue”, told Abdul to the media persons.

Example-2:

Rani Munda woke yesterday morning with a headache. Last night she had gone to bed with a head full of dreams. Today, she is famous for her beauty and intelligence.

The 19-year old tribal girl from Jharkhand was crowned Miss India at the International Center in New Delhi.

“I felt terrible all day,” Rani said after her victory. “But as soon as I walked into the auditorium, something happened. Like, you know, it snapped’. The lights, the excitement of the competition, the possibility of going all the way to the top had its effect. “I just knew I could do it,” she said…

 NEW ANALYSIS:

As a matter of principle, news writing deals with the presentation of facts and arguments. Interpretation of the facts and deriving meaning out of the facts is left to the reader.

It is the practice in newspapers that every issue contains a few items/events/issues in which all the available facts are treated together and objective analysis is provided to the readers. News analyses usually have no fixed place unlike editorials.

In many newspapers the bottom of the front page carries news analyses, while in others some place in the inside pages carry the news analyses.

The task of writing the news analysis is given to experienced staffers or trusted outside experts. Traditionally, senior sub-editors or the chief-sub-editor write the news analyses. Sometimes, outside writers were also given the job.

These days the field staff like reporters, correspondents and bureau chiefs also sometimes writes news analyses.

There is clear difference between news and news analysis. In news, current facts are more important and past facts may be given only to pad the story. The news writer does not attempt the analysis.

News analysis is also different from writing articles and editorials. The editorial is mainly opinion writing and provides clear-cut opinions. Articles also contain opinions and guidelines; they may also have some component of analysis. But news analysis is not supposed to carry any opinion or prescription. It is simply objective analysis of the assorted facts about an event or issue.

Some newspapers and television news, now days, include analysis, comment and opinion in the news also. Professionally this is considered to be an aberration only. Professional journalistic values respect the wisdom of the readers and therefore provide analysis, comment and opinion in specified columns only.

 WRITING NEWS ANALYSIS:

Writing news analysis involves more work than writing news. Following steps make the task systematic and the output is better and more comprehensive.

 Selecting a Subject:

As a rule, news analysis is prepared on a topic that is current. But all topics of current value do not qualify to be the subject matter of analysis. Normally a ‘burning event’ is selected for the news analysis. It means that a news subject that has remained front-page news for more than one day would be fit to be analyzed in detail.

In addition to being current, the subject of news analysis must fascinating or interesting. It means that the subject has to be relevant to the audiences. For example, an issue, which is of much importance in UK, may not be very relevant in India.

Similarly, the subject matter for news analysis must have wide impact and many ramifications. A straight story with no angles and controversies may not render itself for detailed analysis. Suicides by the students of class ten and twelve may not be the main stories but many such incidents occurring during the examinations will be a good subject for analysis.

 GATHERING INFORMATION AND FACTS:

Since the subject of news analysis is current, much information will be easily available. But news analysis must contain facts and arguments that the reader has so far not received. Following are some of the sources for gathering such information:

o Previous issues of the newspapers

o News magazines

o Official reports and documents

o Annual reports

o The Internet

o Public personalities and specialists

ANALYZING THE INFORMATION & FINDING TRENDS:

After collecting as much information as possible on the subject, the writer of news analysis makes a deep study of the collected information. Here, the information must be looked in historical perspective, i.e., with relation to the previous months, years, decades, etc. This generally brings out certain interesting trends, which form the basis for writing the news analysis. News feature writers also try to bring out startling inter-relationships.

For example, while doing news analysis of dowry deaths a writer finds that most of the girls killed due to demand for more dowry were professionally qualified and they had resisted the demands for dowry. The analysis may bring out the trend that educated newlyweds when confronted with demands for dowry passionately put up resistance and then suffered violence. The general principle is more information and deeper analysis provides better results.

ORGANIZING THE STRUCTURE:

The writer has a mine of information, but all information cannot be presented. The writer evaluates the collected material and selects information that is both relevant and important. The selected bits of information are then arranged in order of priority.

At this stage it is always better to verify the selected information and facts from variety of sources. Only the verified information and facts must be presented. Even an insignificant error may make the entire exercise a farce in the eyes of the readers.

WRITING THE NEWS ANALYSIS:

The writer of the news analysis must follow all the basic principles of clear writing and the presentation must be precise and easily comprehensible. The writer should be familiar with the wants and tastes of the readers of the newspaper in which the analysis is to be published. The lowest denominator of the audience must be the target of the writer so that every reader above that level is able to make sense.

The news analysis must resist temptations to allow his or her comments and opinions to creep into the write-up.

It is always advisable to create one or two graphics for the news analysis. The choice is between graphs, bar diagrams, pie charts, pictures and caricatures. Depending upon the nature of the subject, and space available; decision about the illustrations and graphics has to be taken.

The scope of writing news analysis is much wider in news magazines.

Many news stories in news magazines contain an element of news analysis, but the principles remain the same. Since deadline in a news magazine is a little bit extended and space is also more (not unlimited) the skills of news analyst are better displayed in news magazines. These days the supplements of daily newspapers have also started carrying news analyses, sometimes on quite non-traditional subjects.

 BACKGROUNDERS:

Backgrounders add meaning to the events and issues in the news.

Backgrounders do this by explaining them further through background material. These write-ups bring the readers up to date explaining how, why, and when of the event and issue so far.

Backgrounders are more or less an historical presentation of the information and facts. For example, if the news of the death sentence to a killer rapist is in the news an historical account of the persons hanged in the past will be good topic for the backgrounder. During elections, background information about constituencies, political groups and contestants is very important and every newspaper publishes it.

There is clear difference between news analysis and backgrounders.

There is no or very little element of analysis in the backgrounder. The objective is to provide as much background information as possible. It can be said that a backgrounder is loaded with information, whereas a news analysis would concentrate to find causes and establish trends.

WRITING BACKGROUNDERS:

It is advisable to write backgrounders in a systematic and planned manner.

The first two steps for writing backgrounders are same as for the news analysis. The subject is chosen out of the current topics and as much information as possible is collected from various sources. Sometimes, need for the backgrounders can be anticipated and the pieces are prepared well in advance. Elections, festivals and ceremonies are some of the occasions when advance planning can be done.

For a backgrounder the data is generally organized in chronological order. Care should be taken to go into the past as much as possible. Since the writer is dealing with the past, there are likely to be gaps. If even after reasonable efforts the gaps are not filled it is advisable to mention this in the writing itself. Similarly, the readers should also be informed if certain data is unconfirmed. The writer has to select the information according to their relevance.

Since the backgrounder contains lot of facts, it has to be written very carefully to make it interesting and readable. This is a challenge before the writer.

Traditionally backgrounders do not contain any pictures or graphics.

But there is no harm if the backgrounders are also made more attractive and interesting by presenting data in tabular formats or in the forms of bar diagrams, pie charts, graphs etc. An odd picture may also be used here and there.

It is worth mentioning here that in the new journalistic practices of today, distinction between various forms of newspaper writing is getting obliterated. There are many backgrounders that are very well illustrated.

There are news items, which contain a few facts lot of analysis and interpretation, some historical perspective, and it may begin or end with an editorial guideline or prescription.

 SUMMARY:

o News features deal with both information and facts. Only the news features are written in a more interesting manner. In news features, the presentation may be dramatic and major information may be revealed after creating some suspense or after creating a receptive environment.

o Compared to the rigid and straightforward style of news writing, news feature writing is relaxed and informal. The people in the story become the actors and they are made to convey to the readers. Their words are used to recreate the scene in the minds of the people. The story is made to move ahead with quotes and incidents. Realistic dialogue fascinates the readers. Verbs that create pictures in the minds of readers are useful. In many cases present tense is used to give the reader a sense of continuing action.

o News features more or less follow the chronological order of story-telling. All-important pieces of information are covered. These can be given in an imaginative manner using quotes, dialogue and picture making verbs.

o News analyses are write-ups on current items/events/issues in which all the available facts are treated together and objective analysis is provided.

o There is clear difference between news and news analysis. In news, current facts are more important. The news writer does not attempt the analysis. News analysis is also different from writing articles and editorials. The editorial is mainly opinion writing and provides clear-cut opinions. Articles also contain opinions and guidelines; they may also have some component of analysis. But a news analysis is simply objective analysis of the assorted facts about an event or issue.

o The scope of writing news analysis is much wider in news magazines.

Many news stories in news magazines contain an element of news analysis, but the principles remain the same. Since deadline in a news magazine is a little bit extended and space is also more (not unlimited) the skills of news analyst are better displayed in news magazines.

o Backgrounders add meaning to the events and issues in the news. Backgrounders do this by explaining them further through background material. These write-ups bring the readers up to date explaining how, why, and when of the event and issue so far.

o There is clear difference between news analysis and backgrounders. There is no or very little element of analysis in the backgrounder. The objective is to provide as much background information as possible. It can be said that a backgrounder is loaded with information, whereas a news analysis would concentrate to find causes and establish trends.

 KEY WORDS:

News features: These deals with both information and facts. Only the news features are written in a more interesting manner. In news features, the presentation may be dramatic and major information may be revealed after creating some suspense or after creating a receptive environment.

Style in News features: Compared to the rigid and straightforward style of news writing, news feature writing is relaxed and informal. The people in the story become the actors and they are made to convey to the readers. Their words are used to recreate the scene in the minds of the people. The story is made to move ahead with quotes and incidents. Even dialogue can be used and actors in the news story can be presented as interacting among themselves.

News Analyses: These are write-ups on current items/events/issues in which all the available facts are treated together and objective analysis is provided.

There is clear difference between news and news analysis. In news, current facts are more important. The news writer does not attempt the analysis.

News analysis is also different from articles and editorials. The editorial is mainly opinion writing and provides clear-cut opinions. Articles also contain opinions and guidelines; they may also have some component of analysis.

But a news analysis is simply objective analysis of the assorted facts about an event or issue.

Gathering Information and Facts: Since the subject of news analysis is current, much information will be easily available. But news analysis must contain facts and arguments that the reader has so far not received.

Following are some of the sources for gathering such information: Previous issues of the newspapers, News magazines, Official reports and documents, Annual reports, The Internet, and Public personalities and specialists.

Backgrounders: Backgrounders are more or less an historical presentation of the information and facts. For example, if the news of the death sentence to a killer rapist is in the news an historical account of the persons hanged in the past will be good topic for the backgrounder. During elections, background information about constituencies, political groups and contestants is very important and every newspaper publishes it.

SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS (SAQs):

1. What is a news feature? Discuss in detail.

2. What is a news analysis? Discuss in detail.

3. Write a detailed note on backgrounders.

4. Write a news feature on any current event in about 300 words.

5. Write a news analysis on any current event in about 300 words.

6. Write a backgrounder on any current event in about 300 words.

NEWS ELEMENTS

1. Timeliness: The news happened recently (since the last edition) It’s new, otherwise, we’d call it “olds” Almost every story has some timeliness aspect. For example: A teen driver is hit by another car at the crossing of ITO today, in the newspaper tomorrow.

3. Currency: No, not as in money It’s related to something else in the news. For example: A story on how many accidents have occurred at this intersection in the last few years.

4. Conflict: War, elections, sports, group/society/individual struggles etc. any time there is a struggle. For example: In an election year a lot of stories about the election are news. The conflict in Iraq is news.

5. Consequence: The subject of a story has an impact on how people live their lives. For example: A story on a new curfew that will take effect, or a street that is under construction, or a scientific breakthrough.

6. Prominence: Elected, wealthy, famous personalities/place. For example: If I choke on traffic, it’s not news. When the president does, it is news.

7. Proximity: Closeness, either because of geographical proximity or because of relationship. For example: News about the area (geographical) or news about things of interest/concern to locals (relationship).

8. Human Interest: “Warm and fuzzy” feeling. For example: Olympic athlete bios, Dateline “Survivor Stories”

9. Oddity: Weird stuff. For example: Something bizarre that just doesn’t fit anywhere else

10. Three goals of journalism Inform, Educate and Entertain.

ARTICLES AND EDITORIALS

Any newspaper is a collection of news stories, features, editorial(s) and articles.

A news story provides hard news. It provides information in a straightforward manner.

A feature appeals to the emotions. It covers all kinds of topics and provides the information in an interesting and easy-to-read manner. A feature tries to entertain while informing.

Editorials provide the newspaper's point of view.

Articles, on the other hand, provide the point of view of individual writers.

Like editorials, articles also analyze and interpret. Articles provide arguments and counter-arguments. An article goes to the root cause of an event or happening and provides background information. Then it describes the present situation and finally peeps into the future also.

ARTICLES- AN INTRODUCTION:

An article is a glorified and dignified form of an essay, written in a journalistic manner with topicality (or current-ness), innovation and social relevance. It is written on serious burning and timely issues like foreign policy, international issues, constitutional reforms, women’s Bill, industrial policy, economic policy, land reforms, imposition of article 356, and review of articles 85… and so on… number of topics.

An Article comes from the author’s mind whereas a feature is the product of author’s heart. Reversibly, an article appeals to the reader’s mind, whereas a feature appeals to the reader’s heart.

The subject expert writes an article, i.e. here the author is authority, whereas generalist may write a feature. An article is a serious form of write-up whereas a feature is an interesting, entertaining, enlightening and light form of write-up. Feature is a special form of presentation full of high communicability and creativity written on a given subject, which is of concern and interest to common readers.

An article is generally published on the editorial page of a newspaper, whereas feature is mostly published in Saturday and Sunday magazines of a newspaper. As far as weeklies and fortnightlies are concerned, a good example for article is “Economic & Political weekly”, “Yojana”, “Kurukshetra”, etc; whereas features are generally found in “Readers’ Digest”, “Sarita” etc.

There is no hard and fast format for article writing. It has three important parts, i.e., intro, body and conclusion that may be sometimes presented in a pyramid form or may be in a cylindrical form or may be of any other type.

ARTICLE WRITING

In order to write an article the following steps should taken:

(i) Selection of the topic,

(ii) Collection of the material,

(iii) Gate keeping,

(iv) Evaluation,

(v) Presentation.

SELECTION OF THE TOPIC:

For writing an article, the first and foremost step is to select a topic. The topic should be current, socially relevant, and innovative and issue based. It may come out from the lead stories of the front page.

COLLECTION OF THE MATERIAL:

After selection of the topic, relevant material should be collected from various conventional sources and non-conventional sources. One may plan to interview some important and relevant personality, one plan to talk to the important sources or consult various books from the library.

GATE KEEPING:

This involves three processes. First, there is selection of the relevant and the related material of the subject. Then, there is rejection of some other portion of the collected material. Some of the materials are outright rejected as these are felt to be of no use.

EVALUATION:

After the selection of the related, relevant and useful material, it is evaluated as to how much importance should be given to which parts, which aspects and which issues in accordance with the journalistic requirement of the subject or theme of the article. What should be the actual length of the article and to which column or page or section or newspaper or journal it should be sent, is also decided in the evaluation process.

PRESENTATION:

While writing an article, you should pay attention to some of the elementary points of presentation. First of all, you should understand the importance of words in a write-up. Words in a write-up or article are like bricks in a house. So the selection organization and presentation of words are extremely important. For that you need “Word Power”. You should know lots of “synonyms” and “antonyms”.

Know the proper use of the word and syntax. Secondly, you should keep an eye on (a) clarity, (b) conciseness, (c) continuity, (d) correctness, (e) commonness,            (t) credibility, (g) completeness.

Clarity: There should be conceptual and linguistic clarity in the article you are going to write. For bringing about clarity in your article, first of all you should yourself understand the subject or the theme thoroughly. If you don’t understand something, you can’t simplify it. Moreover, the language should also be plain and simple and should be easily understandable to common readers.

Conciseness: Before writing an article, you should keep in mind that verbosity is not the basis of a good article. “Small is beautiful”. So use short words, short sentences, short paragraphs and the whole article should be short, brief and concise. Very long and lengthy articles are not considered to be readable or communicable and are going to be against professional desirability today.

A decade back, articles were written in 1500 words or 2000 words or 2500 words. But now the size is preferably reduced to less than 1000 words coupled with photographs, cartoons or some other elegant looking visual dimensions or graphical presentations. William Shakespeare has thus aptly remarked: “Brevity is the soul of the wit.”

Now a very pertinent question arises as to what should be the size of an article? Can it be written in 100 words, 200 words or 300 words? The answer to this question is that there should not be “head-cut instead of hair-cut.” It should not kill the identity of the story. It should not do away with the gist or the essence of the story.

Thus, your article should not be too long or lengthy that it becomes dull and dismal and it should not be too short or small, that the personality or identity of the story is lost.

Continuity/flow: Continuity is none-the-less significant in article writing. It means flow. It indicates maintaining a link between first sentence and second sentence, between second sentence and third sentence, between one paragraph and another paragraph. That is to say that your write-up should be so properly interwoven that the ideas should not appear to be scattered or fractured or divided.

Even if there is a break in paragraph, there is continuity assuming the fact that only the direction of the idea is changing. Maintaining continuity is not a child’s play. It is a Herculean task. It does not come through preach alone. A lot of practice is required.

Constant and continuous practice leads to more and more perfection in maintaining continuity of your article. It goes on improving through trial and error method and gets a professional touch after a prolonged effort. So do not use very long and peculiarly unpopular or old-fashioned words, which fail to arrest your readers throughout your write-up. Thus “don’t throw your readers to the dictionary, otherwise your readers will throw you out of your job.”

But this does not mean you should avoid consulting dictionary. Being a professional, you should always look up the dictionary and enrich your words power as I have already mentioned in the very beginning of this lesson. Again maintaining continuity and thereby not throwing your readers to the dictionary does not mean you should avoid using new or technical words. You must use new or semi-technical or technical words if there is no substitute of its appropriateness. But new or semi-technical or technical words should not be clubbed in plenty in one or two paragraph.

On the contrary, you should scatter new or semi-technical or technical words throughout your article. Moreover, you should again keep in mind of not throwing your readers to the dictionary, while using new words. You use the new or uncommon words in such a way that your readers should directly comprehend the meaning of that word through your usage there. In other words, you should donate new or technical words to your readers along with your new and innovative ideas. Many a time, several readers learn many new words directly from newspapers or magazines.

Correctness: Correctness is equally important while writing an article. If your article carries some wrong information or is full of factual errors, then your hard labour will be lost even if your interpretation is minute and analysis is meticulous. Factuality is the elementary aspect of our journalism, despite the fact that it has emerged as the biggest casualty today. I will just give you an example as to how a mistake of a comma can make remarkable difference, e.g. The king says the trader is foolish. This means that according to the king, the trader is foolish.

Now let us play a little with commas. Just put one comma after the king and one comma after the trader and see the remarkable difference. Now the sentence says:

The king, says the trader, is foolish. Now by inserting just two commas, the meaning of the sentence is totally reversed. That means now it is according to the trader that the king is foolish.

Commonness: Commonness is the core of any communication. That is to say that communication will not take place without commonness. In fact the word communication has been derived from the Latin word “communis” which means commonness of understanding.

Thus communication will take place only when the frame of reference of both the source and the receiver is common. So while writing an article, you must try to read the pulse of your readers. You must try to know the psychology of your readers. Before writing your article, you must raise these questions -

o For whom are you writing?

o What is your target audience?

o What are the interest, inclination, attitude, aptitude, mind-set and mentality of your audience?

In fact, knowledge of the audience is more important that the knowledge of the subject. You may be subject expert. But due to lack of knowledge of your audience, you may fail to communicate. Thus, know your audience, know the level of the audience and then write accordingly.

Supposing, you all know Hindi and English. But if I write this lesson excellently in French language, then will it be useful for you? ’No’ is the definite answer, because French is not common between you and me. What to speak of article writing; audience research has become an internal part of media planning even when you are launching a newspaper or a magazine.

Media spend lot of money these days on such matters. So, while writing article, you should spend at least much time (if much money is not available) on these inevitable matters.

Credibility: Credibility is inevitable in an article. You can’t think for commendable piece of write-up without credibility. But the question is to how to make your article credible? If you write thousands of excellent articles, then your next article itself carries high level of credibility. That means your name has been established and it is the name, which sells, it is the name, which provides credibility or believability to the piece of write-up.

This is called source credibility, which comes from long, constant and commendable contributions. Many a film viewer presumes that this particular film must be worth-viewing if that particular hero is there or if that particular heroin is there or if that particular character is there.

Similarly many a time, even the readers presume that this particular article must be excellent if the writer is his favourite one. Thus, this type of credibility relates to the image of the source, which you can’t develop overnight. So right now forget about this aspect of credibility for you, as you are a cub journalist.

There is another angle of source-credibility also. Sources raise the credibility of your article. That is to say that if you mention the reliable and right source in your article, it will definitely raise the credibility of your writing work. For example, if you write in your article that according to the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University, “the university is going to be modernized in no time and several new and job-oriented courses of international importance will be started soon.”

Then these words of DU VC will raise the credibility of your article. On the other hand, if you write that somebody in the DU campus was of the opinion that DU will be taken over by the State Government. This statement does not have any credibility as somebody in the Campus stated it. Similarly, interview raises the credibility of your article. If you incorporate an extensive and intensive interview of relevantly high personality in your article, then its credibility becomes much higher.

On the other hand, picture also adds to the credibility of your article. If you are writing an article on a famous tourist spot and add related, relevant and appealing picture, then it tremendously enhances the visual dimensions of your article leading to increase in the credibility level of your article.

Moreover, if you are referring to a bribe case in your article and there is a photograph of the incidence also then its credibility becomes multiple. Similarly examples raise the credibility of an article. Data, chart, diagram, visual illustration, etc. raise the credibility of your article.

Moreover, quotations and references raise the credibility. Credibility is also dependent on clarity, conciseness, continuity, correctness, etc.

Completeness: An incomplete message does not ring bell, even if it is a 30-page write-up. A complete message appeals to the mind and heart even if it is a 60 second ad. It is the completeness of the message, which leads to reception of it; the way source intended it to be received. It is only on the basis of completeness that crystal clear conclusion of some interpretation or thought comes out. So completeness in an article is indispensable.

Completeness means covering almost all the probable aspects of the issues undertaken for analysis. So while writing an article doesn’t consider a few variables. Then there will be polarizations in your article. For example, if you are analyzing the performance of a university in your article, then don’t only take students’ version but also take teachers’ viewpoint, nonteaching staffs’ way of thinking, parents and guardians outlook and administrators point of view.

And then make any conclusion. Good or bad is always a relative term. So also compare the performance of that university with several other equally old universities of equal nature and status. If you conclude the performance of a university as very bad or good or very good or excellent on the basis of above parameters, then only completeness will be reflected in your article. Other than above elementary points, there are some golden rules, which must be kept in mind while writing an article. Those rules are following:

If doubt, cut it out If doubt, find it out If doubt, stick to the hand-out:

Any time you find anything doubtful in your article, then cut it out. But if something is so inevitable and indispensable, without which your article becomes senseless or meaningless or directionless, then you must find it out. In case of some legal controversies, always stick to the handout.

Don’t present your ignorance:

Some of the authors have got into the undesirable habit of always using I like, I think, I mean, I know, etc. This style should be avoided in an article as far as it is possible. Don’t write I think, since it is your article. So it is well known to everyday that it is your thought. Sometimes, if you get some firsthand information directly, then ‘I’ may be used, but miserly. For example, if you are an eyewitness of a train accident in which you were also travelling, then you may use ‘I’ miserly in narrating to that accident. Even in this type of article, you may sometimes write “this author was amazed......... or “this author was bewildered.........etc.

Be a voracious reader:

You must read a lot while writing. Even if you don’t write, read voraciously (hungrily). Writing comes automatically. You must select good and bad article writers. Collect several pieces of good articles and read them regularly and voraciously. This will help you a lot in article writing sooner or later.

Think originally:

Many article writers have a tendency to think originally in their mother tongue and then they translate it into English or Hindi. This leads to a fractured or scattered or broken kind of a write up. So try to think originally in the language in which you want to write. Moreover, if conceptually also you are an original thinker, then your article will be more arresting, more sequence-wise and finally crystal clear, absolutely concise, flow-orientated, credible and logically concluded.

Check, crosscheck and double check:

While you are using some inevitable points and issues in your article, you are not very sure about the accuracy, factuality and authenticity of that editorial matter. Then you must check, cross, crosscheck and multi-check it.

Give uncompromising attention to legal safety: While writing an article, you must be extremely careful about the subject matter and the treatment you give to it. Otherwise, it may lead to some legal controversy. If the article violates the Official Secrets Act or infringes the Copyright Act or leads to any kind of slander or libel, then the punishment to writer, editor and even publisher may turn out to be extremely painful and economically distressing. So look before you leap as and when you come across any legal issues.

TYPES OF ARTICLES:

Article is broadly classified into three types:

o General,

o Special, and

o Research-oriented

General Articles:

A general article is usually published on either Sunday Magazine or editorial page (except central article) or any other page. It is written on current burning topic of general interest. The writers also belong to a group of general intellectuals. The general articles again may be of different kinds like informative, educative, analytical, and satirical, etc.

Special Articles:

Special articles are published on special place and are written on special topics by special writers. Generally this type of article is published on the central place (i.e., just opposite to the first editorial) of the editorial page. It is written on specific topics of national and international importance by nationally or internationally important personality. Though the status of the writer depends on nature of the newspaper - local, regional or national, but even if the newspaper is local the writer is not a general one, but special one. The special article broadly speaking may be educative or analytical.

Research-oriented Articles:

As far as research article is concerned, it is written after a prolonged research by team. This article is not written like orthodox research paper having intro, objectives, methodology, hypothesis, data collection, data analysis, etc. But objective, methodology, data analysis and inferences are directly or indirectly reflected in a research article. This type of article may be analytical or inferential or both.

EDITORIAL WRITING:

An editorial of a newspaper is the comment of the newspaper on current or burning topics. A newspaper should be known for its news. But generally it is also known for its views. Foreign correspondents especially are aware of how often they quote the major newspapers of the country they are assigned to.

While news is sacred and opinion free and possibly profane, it is the opinion, evidently, that counts. News frequently is transient, but views have the aura of a certain permanency about them. Today’s news may be tomorrow’s garbage, but today’s view can remain fresh for a long time to come. Though only a few read editorials, the latter form and nurture public opinion, especially opinion of the elite that alone frequently counts.

M. V. Kamath is of the opinion that a good editorial can incite action, inspire deeds subvert legislation, stir revolution, There are editorials and editorials. Long ones and short one, pompous ones and perceptive ones, thoughtful ones sand-titillating ones, editorials that are hard-hitting as well as caressing, inspiring as well as denigrating, editorials, in fact, that reflect as wide a range of human emotions as are known to man.

Many of us think the editor alone writes that editorial. It is a one-man show. But this is no true. T.J.S. George in his book “Editing: A Handbook For Journalists” has stated, “Today, editor is one who does not edit.”

Thus, there are batteries of “editorial writers” also called “leader writers” who write anonymously, but obviously under the guidance and direction of the editor to whom, of course, all opinion is attributed.

The editorial writers consist of Chief Editor (or Editor-in-Chief or Editor), Resident Editor, Executive Editor, Associate Editor, Deputy Editor and Assistant Editor. Thus, it is a combination of specialization of several subjects and issues. The Chief - Editor (or Editor-in-Chief or Editor) assigns different topics and issues to these editorial writers and gives them certain instructions specialty the deadline and word limitation.

Geoffrey Parsons, former chief editorial adviser of the New York Herald Tribune once said:

“The richer the writer’s background, the larger his ability to stimulate thought about anything. A good editorial writer addresses the largest classes ever reached a teacher, philosopher or critic.................. He cannot know too much, if he is to hold their attention.

An editorial is an instant comment on the most burning and current topic. A good newspaper editorializes the most important events (that generally comes from the first or second lead stories) within three days.

An editorial is generally published on the extreme left side of the central middle page of the newspaper called “editorial page”. The setting of editorial matter may be different from double column to three columns in different newspapers. Sometimes, an editorial is also front-paged in exceptionally extreme cases for example in Punjab Kesri newspaper.

The purpose of editorial writing is to express newspaper’s viewpoint and persuade the readers positively. A well-known editor Arthur Brisbane believed that the purpose of editorial writer is four-fold: he could teach, attack, defend and praise.

Teaching is the most important and the most difficult. Attacking is the easiest and most unpleasant though sometimes necessary. The defending of good causes, of the weak against the strong of the new idea against the ridicule is important and usually neglected by editorial writers. While writing an editorial, the fundamental principles of writing and golden rules are strictly adhered to.

The format and structure of an editorial is “cylindrical.” Sometimes, it may be “homogeneously cylindrical” and sometimes it may be “heterogeneously cylindrical.” Moreover, you should also follow certain codes while writing an editorial. According to the code of ethics explained by the U.S. National Conference of Editorial Writers, “Editorial writer, like the scientist, must pursue truth no matter where it leads if he is to be faithful to his craft and to his society.”

The basic points of this code are:

o The editorial writer should present facts honesty and fully.

o He should draw objective conclusions from stated facts basing them upon the weight of evidence and upon the considered concept of the greatest good.

o He should never be motivated by personal interest.

o He should realize that he is not infallible and should give voice to those who disagree with him in a public letters column and by other suitable devices.

o He should review his own conclusions and correct them should he find them based on previous misconceptions.

o He should have the courage of well-found conviction and never write anything that goes against his conscience. Where editorial pages are product of more than one mind, sound collective judgement can be achieved only through sound individual judgements. Therefore, thoughtful individual opinions should be respected.

o He should support his colleagues in their adherence to the highest standards of professional integrity.

SUMMARY:

o A news story provides hard news. It provides information in a straightforward manner. A feature appeals to the emotions. It covers all kinds of topics and provides the information in an interesting and easy-to-read manner. A feature tries to entertain while informing. Editorials provide the newspaper's point of view. Articles, on the other hand, provide the point of view of individual writers.

o Like editorials, articles analyze and interpret Articles provide arguments and counter-arguments. An article goes to the root cause of an event or happening and provides background information. Then it describes the present situation and finally peeps into the future also.

o An editorial of a newspaper is the comment of the newspaper on current or burning topics. A good editorial can incite action, inspire deeds subvert legislation, stir revolution, There are editorials and editorials. Long ones and short one, pompous ones and perceptive ones, thoughtful ones sand-titillating ones, editorials that are hard-hitting as well as caressing, inspiring as well as denigrating, editorials, in fact, that reflect as wide a range of human emotions as are known to man.

o There are batteries of “editorial writers” also called “leader writers” who write anonymously, but obviously under the guidance and direction of the editor to whom, of course, all opinion is attributed.

o An editorial is generally published on the extreme left side of the central middle page of the newspaper called “editorial page”. The setting of editorial matter may be different from double column to three columns in different newspapers, though it is generally in D/C setting.

KEY WORDS:

Clarity: For bringing clarity in your article, first of all you should yourself understand the subject or the theme through and through. If you don’t understand something, you can’t simplify it. Moreover, the language should also be plain and simple and should be easily understandable to common readers.

Conciseness: Before writing an article, you should keep in mind that verbosity is not the basis of a good article. So use short words, short sentences, short paragraphs and the whole article should be short, brief and concise. Very long and lengthy articles are not considered to be readable or communicable and are going to be against professional desirability today.

Continuity: Continuity means flow. It indicates maintaining a link between first sentence and second sentence, between second sentence and third sentence, between one paragraph and another paragraph. That is to say that your whole write up should be so properly interwoven that the ideas should not appear to be scattered or fractured or divided.

Completeness: Completeness means covering almost all the probable aspects of the issues undertaken for analysis. So while writing an article don’t consider a few variables.

SELF- ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS (SAQs):

1. What do you mean by an article? Discuss its various types.

2 Differentiate between an article and a feature.

3. Discuss the various types of an article?

4. What steps will you follow while writing an article?

5. What is an editorial? Discuss the purpose of writing an editorial.

6. Who writes an editorial in a newspaper? Discuss it briefly..