新闻采编（英文版）：新闻采编

《新闻采编》教案 教学计划：讲授32课时 1-16周 2节/周 1-5周 新闻采访（The nature of news ;The art of interviewing; To be a successful reporter; Harvesting the news） 6-11周 新闻写作（The writing process；Getting organized；Story structure ；The news lead； The rest of the story； The tools of the trade ；Getting it right；Libel） 12-15周 新闻编辑（Ethics；editing） 第一部分：新闻采访 PrewritingThe nature of newsWhat is news? Charles A. Dana, editor of the New York Sun, once defined it as, "Anything that interests a large part of the community and has never been brought to its attention before." In other words, news is what people are talking about. News is new. As Evelyn Waugh described it, "News is what the chap who doesn't care much about anything wants to read."1. Put another way, news is a change in the status quo. But does a change in the status quo guarantee that an event is newsworthy? Suppose Philip, a normally reliable 10-year-old, is late for dinner. That may be of consequence in his household, but it is not news. What if he is three hours late for dinner? Then he may be missing and that is news. Then his tardiness takes on community import, especially if he has become the victim of foul play. So, as this example illustrates, news is not just a change in the status quo.It is a change of consequence in the status quo.2. In a very real sense, news also can be defined as whatreporters and editors say it is. They are the gatekeepers,allowing the accounts of some events, but not others, to reachthe reading public. And there are other factors that sometimes candetermine whether an event is news. These include the prejudice of the management, the size of the paper, pressure from advertisers and the news hole, or the space allotted to news.3. Still, news professionals agree on at least seven main factors that help them determine if an event has consequence, if it is news. These are: a) Impact—How many people does the event affect? How seriously does it affect them? b) Proximity—An event will be more important if is closer to the readers. An earthquake in a far-off land is not as interesting as one that is close to home.c) Timeliness—Is the event fresh? Is it new? The news must be timely to be of use to readers. d) Prominence—Names make news, and big names make big news. Ordinary people are intrigued by the doings of the rich and famous.e) Novelty—This is the new in news, the unusual. The "firsts," "lasts" and "onlys" have been the staples of the news business for many years.f) Conflict—Conflict has been the currency of great literature, drama and movies for all time. From the stories of Shakespeare to those of Disney, conflict has played a crucial role. Newspapers are no different.g) Audience—Who is the audience? The answer to that question helps determine whether an event is news at all, and if it is, where it will be played in the paper. 
Some of the lesser-known factors that determinethe news are: ? Prejudice of management ? Pressure from advertisers ? Size of paper ? N   PrewritingThe art of interviewing—part 1There are three ways to gather information for your story—research, observation and interviewing. Of these, interviewing is clearly the most important. It can be done in person, over the phone, and now even by e-mail. It can be extensive or just a few questions. In whatever form, it is the key to the stories you write. Your ability to talk to people is the difference between being a mediocre reporter and a good one.1. Be prepared.An interviewer once asked Vivian Leigh what part she played in the movie, Gone With the Wind. Leigh ended the interview before it started. Contrast that with the interview A.J. Liebling had with jockey Eddie Arcaro. Liebling began the interview by asking Arcaro why his left stirrup was longer than his right. One got a good interview, the other didn't. One was prepared, the other wasn't.2. Preparation allows you to ask good questions and signals your subject that you are not to be dismissed lightly. Read all that is available. Talk to those who know the subject. As writer Tom Rosenstiel said, "A common ingredient of the superb interviewis a knowledge of the subject so thorough that it creates a kindof intimacy between the journalist and the interviewee."3. What is the tentative theme for your story and how will this interview fit that theme? When you have answered those questions, prepare a list of questions. The best way to have a spontaneous conversation is to have questions ready. That way you can relax, knowing that you will not miss an important topic.4. Phrase your questions in a neutral way. Not: Don't you agree that this speaker should be banned from campus? Mix open-ended questions, such as, "Tell me about your love for antique cars," with closed-ended ones, such as, "How old are you?" The closed-ended ones elicit basic information; the open-ended allow the interviewee to reveal information or feelings that you did not anticipate.5. Decide how you will dress. You would dress differently for a hockey player than for the mayor. Ask yourself, how will my subject be dressed? Avoid anything in your dress or grooming that could be considered impertinent, flashy, sloppy or rebellious.6. Think of your meeting with the subject as a structured but friendly conversation, not an interview. As writer Studs Terkel said, "I realized quite early in this adventure that interviews conventionally conducted were meaningless. The question-and-answer technique may be of value in determining favored detergent, but not in the discovery of men and women. It was simply a case of making conversation and listening."7. Try to establish a rapport with the person early on. You may want to wait a bit before pulling your notebook out. This meeting stage may determine how the rest of the interview will go. Do you share a common interest or friend? If so, mention that.8. Look the subject in the eye and listen carefully to his/her answers. Be sure to smile. A smile, they say, is lubrication for the words and collaborator of the eyes in contact. A smile helps both you and your subject relax.9. When the source is speaking, nod or make some verbal remark to show you are listening and understand. Sit on the edge of your chair and lean forward. This is a posture that projects an eager, positive attitude.10. Observe and record the person's body language, mannerisms, dress, physical features, distinctive characteristics and interactions with others. These allow you to paint a word picture for your reader and may reveal something that is not being said. Observe and record the sights and sounds of the surroundings. Take good notes during the interview in a handwriting you will be able to read later. Take too many notes rather than too few. 
During the interview: ? Look your subject in the eye ? Sit forward in your chair ? Respond to answerswith a nod ? Listen carefully ? Smile   The art of interviewing—part 211. Focus on what the source is saying, not on what you will ask next. Your next question will be better if you heard the answer to the last one. Listen critically. Do you understand what the source is saying. If not, ask the source to repeat or explain. Listen for what isn't said. Is the source avoiding a topic?12. Don't interrupt, don't ask long questions, don't talk too much, don't challenge too early in the conversation. You're there to hear opinions, not offer them. Nevertheless, it can help to build rapport if you reveal something of yourself. Offer your own thoughts or observations, but sprinkle lightly. 13.Control your physical actions and mental attitude. If the subject senses that you disapprove of him or his opinions, the interview is doomed. If the subject wants to take you on a tour of her home, office, factory, garden, etc., accept the offer and record what you see.14. Begin with easy questions, perhaps biographical ones. Ask for examples or anecdotes. Use the list of questions you have prepared and return to it frequently. As Anthony deCurtis,former editor of Rolling Stone, said, "Interviewing is a lot like talking, but you have to guide the conversation. You have toknow what you want and go about getting it."15. If the subject takes the interview in an unexpected direction, go with her/him. But remember, you are in charge of the interview. Make sure you accomplish your goals and be assertive if necessary. Stop after one hour. Be alert to the fact that the best material sometimes comes when you have reached the end and thanked the subject for their cooperation. Be sure to ask what the future holds.16. Make accuracy your goal. Be sure your quotes are accurate. If not, paraphrase. Ask for correct spellings. Don't pretend to know something that you don't. Summarize for the subject in your own words some of his main points. For example, you might say, "Let's see if I understand you. You mean..."17. Tell the subject you will be calling back later to check facts (not quotes) and do so. Make the call when you are almost finished with the story. Use it as a second interview. Ask about areas you did not understand, or about areas that will be a part of the story but were not covered well during the original interview.18. Tape record the conversation if time permits and the story demands. Is this a profile? Does your subject have a distinctive way of speaking? Is this a controversial topic? Will the presence of a recorder put a chill on the conversation? If you decide to use a recorder, ask permission of the subject. Place it off to the side, but where it can be seen. Make sure it is in good working order with good batteries. Use it as a backup to your regular note taking.19. Assume that the conversation is "on the record." If the subject asks for parts of it to be "off the record," try to convince him/her otherwise. If unsuccessful, make sure you and the subject understand the ground rules. Does "off the record" mean you can use the material, but not with her name attached to it? Can you go to someone else and get the information on the record? Or does "off the record" mean you cannot use the information, even without his name attached, and you can't go to someone else to get the information?20. Direct quotes from your subject are essential for your story. They allow your reader to "hear" the person you are writing about. They also create the impression of objectivity, that you, the reporter, are simply telling the world about something that happened. But quotes must be 100 percent accurate. If you are not certain of every word of the quote, remove the quote marks and paraphrase. However, it is permissible to "clean up" bad grammar within a quote.21. Make sure the quote is revealing of your subject. Avoid direct quotes if the material is boring, if the information is factual and indisputable or if the quote is unclear. Make sure the quote advances the story and does not repeat the material above it.22. Often the advice given for interviewing makes it sound like a game of wits with your subject. They've got something you want, and they won't give it to you. You are advised to "flatter them," "make them feel comfortable," "lead up to the tough questions with easy ones," "don't take no for an answer." What's implicit here is that there are several realities that you can report. A good reporter reports at one level. A great reporter reports at another level, closer to what I call "actual reality." Strive to discover during the interview the "actual reality."23. Figure that there is material that your subject knows, will tell you and will let you report. That is the "reportable reality." There is another reality that the subject knows, will tell you, but will not let you report. This is the "private reality." There is a third reality that the subject knows but will not tell you, much less let you report. Strive to discover through every legal and ethical means this "actual reality" and report it. Remember, journalism is what somebody doesn't want you to print. Everything else is publicity. 
The interviewer strives to learn the'actual reality': ? Not just the 'reportable reality' the subject freely shares ? Or the 'private reality' that is shared but off-the-record   To be a successful reporterThe best reporters I know are bright, persistent, honest, personable, curious and courageous. If you asked them to explain their success, this is what they might say:1. A good reporter is a generalist, able to deal with a number of? topics and talk with a variety of people. He or she can see the unusual, the ironic, in the everyday. She can think through all the possibilities and organize a large amount of information to find the important parts.2. A good reporter is quick. Once he is assigned a story, he goes after it. He makes the calls and keeps trying if he doesn't make contact. He remembers the sign that once hung in the Los Angeles Times newsroom: GOYA/KOD. Get off your ass/knock on doors.3. A good reporter is curious. He or she takes pleasure in the new, and in the old, in the history or precedent that got us wherewe are. He enjoys reading and appreciates the details.4. A good reporter is pleasant. She adopts a friendly nature with those she meets. She is a grateful guest, with a belief in the basic goodness of people. She conveys to those she meets that she is tolerant of them and their ideas, even though she does not like them or what they stand for. She subordinates her ego and is a good listener.5. A good reporter is honest. He seeks the truth and acts independently. He does what he says he's going to do, and doesn't do something he promised to avoid. He returns his calls, and he's willing to say no. He's obsessed with accuracy and double checks his facts with call-backs. He sees both sides to every issue. He doesn't treat people as a means to an end.6. The good reporter is courageous. She approaches strangers. She takes pleasure in being good, in being first. She develops a skin to deflect the inevitable criticism. She is willing to make a mistake and willing to write something that may hurt someone. She has a capacity for tempered outrage.7. As Jon Franklin, reporter, author and teacher, said: "Back when I first started, I thought intelligence was the most important attribute a reporter could have. I have since changed my mind. You do have to be intelligent, but the big thing is courage. Courage to open your mind and let the whole damned confusing world in. Courage to always be the ignorant one, on somebody else's turf. Courage to stand corrected. Courage to take criticism. Courage to grow with your experiences. Courage to accept what you don't understand. Most of all, courage to see what is there and not what you want to think is there." 
Successful reporters are: ? Smart ? Quick ? Curious ? Pleasant ? Honest   PrewritingThe human touchA good reporter makes regular contact with his or her sources.She goes to the well when she's thirsty, but she also goes to the well when she's not thirsty. There is no substitute for actually being there, for personal contact. See your sources, speak to them when you need something from them, but more importantly, when you don't need anything. 1. One of the most important qualities that a reporter must have is an ease around strangers. Always be alert to the common ground that you share with the people you deal with. Mention these topics in your conversations with them. Familiarity doesn't breed contempt. It lowers barriers. 2. A reporter has to answer the question, "What's up?" withmore than, "Not much." Put sources on the receiving end ofinformation. The FBI approach—"We ask the questions, mister"—does not work for a reporter. A reporter is an information broker. Share information when you can.3. With this said, you also have to be careful. You must learn to walk a fine line between getting close but not too close. As Walter Lippmann said, "There has to be a certain distance between a reporter and the source, not a wall or a fence but an air space." You serve the reader, not the source. 4. After months on a beat, working with the same sources, you will begin to think like them and talk like them. You will be sympathetic to their point of view. Be wary of this and of their efforts to use you. It is likely and legitimate that they will try to persuade you of the merit of their views, to sell you on their programs. You will have little contact with your readers, but it is them you represent.5. The language of your source is probably not the language of your readers. Bureaucrats, scientists, educators and lawyers have their own jargon. Learn this jargon but translate it into standard English for your readers.6. If you have obtained information from a source on the understanding that it is off the record, then it is. Remember, a source is a source for life. You may change beats, newspapers, even cities, yet your reputation will follow you. The only way to be a successful reporter over the long haul is to operate honestly. If you don't, you will be without that most valuable of all commodities, good sources.7. Make one more call. Ask your source, "Who else can help me?" "Who holds an opposite view?" Work down the organization chart. If possible, talk to the policeman who made the arrest, not the supervisor; the teacher rather than the principal.8. Be polite but persistent with your sources. Insist on a responsive answer to your question. Follow slow-developing stories by checking periodically with your sources. If the event or issue is still on their agenda, it probably should be on yours as well. 
In working with sources, a reporter: ? Shares information, if possible ? Translates their jargon ? Is polite but persistent ? Maintains a certain distance   Harvesting the newsNews reporters gather information in three ways: by interviewing people, by researching the written record and by observation. The better you are at these, the better your stories will be. This newsgathering triad underlies all good reporting and good writing. In fact, good information, even poorly written, is better than soufflé writing, or writing with no substance.1. The more ways you gather information, and the more information you gather, the better your story will be. You will move closer to the "actual reality" of the event. Remember your goal is to use any legal and ethical means to learn what's really going on. 2. Let's start with the simplest type of news gathering, the story gathered in only one of the three ways. It is based on whatyou are told, rather than what you discover for yourself. This is source-controlled, source-originated journalism. Let's call itlevel 1 journalism.3. Level 1 stories result from handouts, press releases, press conferences, speeches and statements. They result from what someone tells you. It is surface journalism. It is the work of a clerk, not a reporter. This type of reporting doesn't have to be bad. It can be information from the city as to when the trash will be picked up, or when to register to vote.4. But level 1 journalism has its problems. The material can be one-sided. It can be offered by the source for personal, political or economic gain. If the newspaper is filled with this kind of material, the reading public becomes apathetic and distrustful.5. Worse than being one-sided, level 1 journalism can be wrong. Frequently, people don't know what they are talking about, and sometimes they lie. So, what's a reporter to do? Be skeptical. Good reporters question what they are told. They check and double check. They rely on what they are told, but they improve upon it by talking to more than one person, by searching the written record, by trying to see for themselves. As President Reagan said of the Russians, "Trust but verify."6. A word of caution: There is a difference between skepticism and cynicism. A skeptic is one who wants proof, but he or she is not prejudiced against face-value explanations. A cynic, on the other hand, refuses to believe face-value explanations and is ready to ascribe almost evil motives to those he or she covers. A good reporter is skeptical but not cynical.7. When you take what someone tells you, and supplement it with information from your own research, your own observations, or with what others tells you, you move to level 2 journalism. You shed "air and light'' on the subject, to use Lincoln Steffens' phrase. You "climb the stairs," according to A.J. Liebling. Remember the sign in the Los Angeles Times office: GOYA/KOD, Get off your ass, knock on doors.8. By operating on the information you have been told, you move from level 1 journalism closer to the "actual reality." You provide background, details, reaction from others, and your own observations as verification for what has been provided.9. Suppose you were sent to cover a speech by the director of a university writing center on the subject of student writing. If you went to the speech and reported strictly what the speaker said, that's level 1 reporting. If you talked with tutors, students, professors, other writing centers, if you visited there yourself, if you provided a history of the center, then that's level 2 reporting.10. If you take it one step further, if you attempt to answer the so what? question, if you provide some information on the causes and consequences of the issue, then that is level 3 reporting. Level 3 reporting tells the reader why things are as they are, why they work or don't work. 
Reporters harvestthe news by: ? Personal observation ? Researching the written record ? Interviewing peo   第二部分：新闻写作 WritingThe writing processWriting is a process, a logical sequence of steps. You follow a pattern in getting dressed each day, in baking a cake or in changing a flat tire. In the same way, your writing should be the product of a logical process. The successful writer gathers, focuses, orders, drafts and revises. These are the same basic steps upon which this Web site is built: prewriting, writing and rewriting.1. The first step in the process is gathering. Good writing begins with good reporting. The writer must find the details that reveal meaning. You can't write writing; you have to have facts. 2. Once you have the facts, decide on a focus or theme. Each news story should have one dominant idea. That is the focus or reason for writing the story. Without a focus, stories wander and confuse the reader. To find the focus, ask yourself, what's the point? Imagine that you had to write a six-word headline for the story. What one sentence tells the meaning of the story?3. Next, decide which of your facts are most important and place them in a logical order. Discard all facts that don't flow from your focus statement. Like a blueprint, each story needs a plan. Each point should grow from the previous point and lead to the next one. Poor organization loses more readers than anything else. For the reader, the easiest thing is to stop reading.4. Write quickly from beginning to end so that you can spend time with the middle of your story and with the ending.5. After you have written, edit your story to make it more powerful. Make sure that you have written what you intended to write. Read it aloud to someone. Take a break, then come back to it and revise. Be merciless in removing anything that doesn't belong.6. This process is not necessarily a straight line from gathering to revising. The writer will go back and forth, including other facts as she is revising, or changing the order as she gathers. A key point to remember is that much of the work in writing a news story is done before the first words are put to paper. 
The steps in the writing process are: ? Gather ? Focus ? Order ? Draft ? Revise   WritingGetting organizedNow that you have gathered the material for your story, take a minute to organize it. A minute spent in planning the story will prevent countless problems later on.1. Look through your notes and background material. Mark the best of it, the key points and strongest quotes.2. Decide on a focus. What is the core idea for the story? You should be able to express this theme in a sentence or two.3. What are the main points that will support this theme? Place these main points in a logical sequence. A jot outline is helpful for this. It will help you decide how to tell the story. How will the story begin? What will the middle sections look like? How will it end?4. It is very tempting to return from an interview and immediately begin writing a lead. But your story will suffer if you do. You will omit material you want to include. Your story will be repetitious. And you run the risk of front-loading the story: good stuff at the start, followed by increasingly weaker material. Take a moment to plan the story from beginning to end.5. As Jack Hart, writing coach at the (Portland) Oregonian, has said, "Writing is thinking. That's all there is to it. Simple as it is, it still works wonders. The act of writing a theme statement and a few main topics imposes order on the chaos of detail you often face when reporting ends." 
Before touching the keyboard: ? Decide on a theme ? Order your key points   WritingStory structureYou have several options when it comes to the structure of your story. You can choose a chronological order, where you present the key events in your story as they occurred. It is more likely, though, that you will use one of the three traditional news forms: the inverted pyramid, the narrative or the hourglass.1. The most popular structure for news stories is the inverted pyramid. In the inverted pyramid, the information is arranged in descending order of importance. The most important material is placed at the beginning of the story, and less important material follows. Succeeding paragraphs explain and support the lead. 2. The inverted pyramid is popular because it still serves readers well. It tells them quickly what they want to know. It also serves the reporter by forcing her to sharpen her news judgment, to identify and rank the most important elements of the story.3. But the inverted pyramid has big disadvantages. Although it delivers the most important news first, it does not encourage good writing. Many times stories do not have an ending crafted by the writer; they simply end. There is no suspense. Reporters tend to lose interest, time and energy. Writing in the second half of the story is casual at best, and poor at worst. 4. One alternative to the inverted pyramid is narration or story telling. Narration uses scenes, anecdotes(轶事) and dialogue to build to a climax. People are prominent in the story, and they are responsible for the action. The story has a beginning, middle and end. Quotations sound like real speech. The words and actions of the characters reveal motives.5. A third story structure, the hourglass, combines some of the best elements of both the inverted pyramid and the narrative. It consists of three parts: a top, which tells the news quickly; the turn, a nimble transition; and the narrative, a chronological retelling of events. The hourglass works well with police stories, courtroom dramas and other incidents that lend themselves to chronological narration. The hourglass has several advantages: Readers get the news high in the story; the writer gets to use storytelling techniques; and it encourages a real ending. 
The inverted pyramid has faults, but its strengths are: ? It tells the reader quickly what happened ? It forces the reporter to identify key elementsin the story   WritingThe news lead—part 1A good news story, unlike the novel or play, is based on one main idea. That is why it is so important to decide on a focus and stick to it. A well-focused article tells your reader that you worked from a plan. It gives the reader a sense of completeness, a sense that you know what you are doing.1. In deciding on this focus, you also are working on your lead. By asking yourself about the main theme for your story, you are deciding how to begin, for often the two—a statement of theme and a lead—are one and the same.2. To help you decide on this theme, sometimes it helps to try the "tell-a-friend" technique. Imagine your friend asking, "What's your story about?" Answer that question in one sentence that captures the essence of the entire story.3. Now try to refine your answer so it can do two things. Itshould capture the essence of your story and do so in a waythat encourages the reader to continue. It is your promise to the reader of what is to come. It is your lead.4. After reading the lead, your reader makes a critical decision: Shall I read on? You have little time, according to Donald Murray, author of Writing for Readers. "Three seconds and the reader decides to read or move on to the next story," Murray said. "That's all the time you have to catch the reader's glance and hold it; all the time you have to entice and inform."5. Think of the lead as a baited hook that lures the reader into the story. Think economy. Imagine you are writing the lead while seated on a hot stove, or carving it into a block of oak. Make each word count and include no extra words. One writer said she writes a lead as if each word cost her $10. 6. There are two main types of leads: direct or delayed. The direct lead reveals immediately what the story is about. It is the summary or statement of the most important events contained in the story. It is the climax, the result of the investigation, the theme. If you told a joke as you wrote a direct lead, you would place the punch line first.7. The direct lead—also called the summary lead—is usually one sentence, but sometimes two. It answers immediately, in 25 words or less, the main questions of who, what, when and where. It is the workhorse of daily journalism, used at the top of most stories.8. The best direct leads start with a compelling noun and a strong verb, not with a prepositional phrase. William Caldwell, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, recalled the best lead he ever heard. The year was 1922. "I was on my way home from school and my stint at the local weekly. My little brother came running to meet me at the foot of the street. He was white and crying. A telegram had come to my mother. 'Pa drowned this morning in Lake George,' my brother gasped. I was ashamed to admit my inner response. Before I could begin to sense sorrow, despair, horror, loneliness and anger, before all the desolation of an abandoned child could well up in me, I found myself observing that the sentence my brother had just uttered was the perfect lead. Noun, verb, period, and who-what-when-where to boot." 
The lead is your promise to the reader. It must: ? Capture the essence ofyour story ? Encourage the reader to   WritingThe news lead—part 29. There is a second type of lead that is used mostly on feature stories. It is the delayed or feature lead. It usually sets a scene or evokes a mood with an incident, anecdote or example. The writer may foreshadow events to come or create a sense of foreboding or anticipated surprise. Essential information is temporarily withheld. The writer teases before she pleases.10. The delayed lead can be short, perhaps two sentences, or it can be longer, up to four paragraphs. The delayed lead still must fulfill the two roles of the lead: It must capture the essence of the story and do it in a way that encourages the reader to continue. Like the direct lead, it leads the reader straight to the heart of the story. Good leads are like good titles: they shine a flashlight down into the story.11. When the lead is delayed and does not immediately explainthe main point of the story, it is important to include the theme statement somewhere high in the story, usually within the firstfour paragraphs. If you ask the reader to wait before he learns what the story is about, be sure to reward him with a clearstatement of purpose, also known as a nut graph.12. Leads must be honest. They should never promise what does not follow in the story. Don't begin with a startling or sensational anecdote if it is not organically related to the theme. As writer John McPhee said, "A lead should not be cheap, flashy, meretricious, blaring a great fanfare of trumpets, and then a mouse comes out of its hole." 
The delayed lead sets the scene with an: ? Anecdote ? Incident ? Example   The rest of the storyWe've talked about the lead. Now let's talk about the rest of the story—the middle and end.1. The real strength of your story will come from the details that back up the promise of the lead. This is the background material, the examples and quotes, the things you have observed, the explanations and definitions and the sense of history. These are the parts that lend meaning and significance to the event or person you are writing about.2. You can build strength and interest in the middle of the story in a number of ways. Some of them are: a. Raise a question or a dilemma in one paragraph and answer it in the next. Elaborate on this cause and effect by using examples or quotes.b. Introduce background with phrases such as "previously," "in the past" or "two months ago." Put this information in several sections rather than one big block.c. Repeat a word or phrase from one paragraph to the next.d. Use parallel structure. Use the same grammatical order in succeeding sentences or place the same number of sentences in succeeding paragraphs.e. Vary sentence length. Follow a long sentence with a short one.f. Use anecdotes. You used one in the lead, try it in the middle of the story. An anecdote within the story creates momentum, pulling the reader through the copy.g. Use dialogue. Let your readers hear two of your characters talking to one another.h. Use a list to highlight the key points. For example, a court decision or the findings of a scientific study could be summarized in a list. 3. Finally, we have come to the end of the story. Think of it as the lasting impression, the last song you heard on the radio. The ending is often what the reader remembers most about the story, so end strong. The ending is so important that you should know how you are going to end before you start.4. Many writers save a good morsel for the end, perhaps their second-best quote. (The best quote would be used near the top of the story.) Roger Simon, a columnist for The Baltimore Sun, switches his leads and endings to see which works best in which spot.5. The most common type of ending is the quote ending. Look for a quote that sums up the main idea of the story. Another favorite is the circle end. In the circle end, you return to an idea expressed in the lead. 
Build strength in the middle of your story with: ? Background material ? Examples ? Quotes ? Definitions ? Observatio   The tools of the tradeWhen I first started as a reporter, I thought that the skills and structures used in writing a novel or play would apply to writing a news story. I have since changed my mind. Now I believe, as Roy Peter Clark of The Poynter Institute for Media Studies teaches, that there is a "language of journalism." News writing is unique in the following ways:1. News writing is concrete and specific. At the St. Petersburg Times, they ask reporters to get "the name of the dog, the brand of the beer, and the color and make of the sports car." The task of the writer, said Joseph Conrad, "is by the power of the written word, to make you hear, to make you feel, to make you see."2. News writing is front-loaded or top-heavy. The news writer makes meaning early with sentences that begin with subjects and verbs. Subordinating elements follow in what scholars call "right-branching" sentences. Many writers, John McPhee and Ernie Pyle come to mind, create page after page ofright-branching sentences, but with such variety in length and subordination that the effect is almost invisible.3. News writing is plain. It is tough and muscular and free of clutter. "Good prose is like a window pane," said George Orwell. The reader notices not the writing but the world. "We are a society strangling in unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills and meaningless jargon," said William Zinsser. The good writer avoids this clutter with a meanness of attitude. "By meanness I don't refer to a harsh quality in my copy," said William Blundell. "I refer to an attitude toward myself as I work. The mean storyteller becomes two people, acting alternately as he works. The first is the sensitive artist-creator, the second the savage critic who eradicates every weakness in his creation. He is cruel and hoots at affectations and pretty turns of phrase, passive constructions and wordiness. He is a rotten S.O.B., worse than any editor who ever drew a breath, and he is an artist's best friend." 
News writing is: ? Concrete ? Front-loaded   RewritingGetting it right—part 1You've spent hours gathering material and writing your story. Now it is time for the third step in the process—rewriting. To illustrate the value of rewriting, imagine that you are suddenly asked to play third base for the Baltimore Orioles. You have no training or experience in baseball, so the experiment is likely to be a disaster. But suppose you have expert instruction and one month to prepare. Suppose someone hits you 1,000 grounders a day for that month. No doubt, after this kind of practice, you will be much more successful.1. So it is with writing. Writing takes practice. Your first draft will never be as good as your second draft, and the second will never be as good as the third. Remember, there is no such thing as good writing, only good rewriting. Or, as Roscoe Born, former Wall Street Journal editor, said, "What you have written is only preparation for what you are going to write." Here are someways to improve your first draft:2. Read your story aloud. Reading aloud is a great way to test for clarity and grace. Are your sentences too long? Is a paragraph confusing? Is your work conversational or stilted? "I read aloud so I can hear every word, can discover where the little words bump into each other and destroy the rhythm," said Don Murray of The Boston Globe. Or as historian Barbara Tuchman said, "After seven years' apprenticeship in journalism, I have discovered that an essential element for good writing is a good ear. One must listen to one's own prose."3. Check to make sure your sentences are not too long. Sentence length should vary, but the average should be below 25 words. Reader comprehension decreases as sentence length increases. Paula LaRocque of The Dallas Morning News said, "The period is one of the clear writer's best friends." And Robert Gunning wrote, "I know of no author addressing a general audience today who averages much more than 20 words per sentence and still succeeds in getting published."4. Check your writing for clutter. Is your work full of twisted phrases, jargon, redundancies, long words where short ones will do, unnecessary qualifiers and modifiers? The disease of American writing is clutter, said William Zinsser. Strip every sentence to its cleanest components. The gardener knows that he must thin his plants after the first seedlings appear. Otherwise, his entire crop will suffer. The same holds true for writing. 5. Make sure that you have used the subject-verb-object construction in most of your sentences. Avoid backing into sentences with long dependent clauses, especially introductory ones. Roy Peter Clark calls this "throat-clearing." Get to it. 
To improve your story: ? Read it aloud ? Use short,simple sentences ? Remove cl   Getting it right—part 2The careful writer is precise. As Mark Twain said, "The difference between the right word and the nearly right word is the same as that between lightning and the lightning bug." A mechanic uses a 9/16-inch wrench because no other will do. A writer must be just as selective with her words. Ask yourself these questions to make sure you have been precise:1. Are my sentences simple and strong? Write simple sentences, where the subject is close to the verb. Rely on strong nouns and verbs, not adjectives and adverbs. As Strunk and White said, "The adjective hasn't been built that can pull a weak or inaccurate noun out of a tight place." They have their place, but "it is nouns and verbs, not their assistants, that give good writing its toughness and color."2. Have I been concise? Prefer the short word to the long, the familiar to the fancy, the specific to the abstract. As Strunk and White said, "Don't be tempted by the $20 word when there is a 10-center handy, ready and able." Or as English poet Robert Southey wrote, "If you would be pungent, be brief; for it is with words as with sunbeams—the more they are condensed, the deeper they burn."3. Is my writing correct? Your work must conform to the basic conventions of grammar, spelling and punctuation. These are the grease that lubricates the wheels of communication. Without them, communication becomes difficult, if not impossible.4. Do my sentence lengths vary? If you want to convey a sense of action, tension or movement, use short sentences. A series of long sentences slows down the reader and conveys a more relaxed mood. A good writer uses a variety of sentences—long ones, short ones and those in between.5. Have I used transitions? Lead the reader from one section to the next with transitions. They are your bridges. They assure the reader that you have a plan. Repeat key words or phrases. Use words like: now, but, and, however, since. These are the links that tie a story together.6. Have I been sensual? Appeal to as many senses as possible: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. Let your reader see what you saw and heard what you heard. You did note the sounds, smells and textures while you were reporting, didn't you? "We must put all our senses to work," said James Kilpatrick.7. Have I used comparisons? Compare and contrast your subject to something familiar. Do this with a simile or its first cousin, the metaphor. With these devices, the writer draws a word picture. 8. Have I provided examples and dialogue? Tell the story through the words and actions of your characters. This allows your reader to be an eyewitness. "An ounce of example is worth a ton of generalization," said Henry James. And from Tom Wolfe: "Realistic dialogue involves the reader and defines character more completely than any other single device."9. Have I written about people? Write about people, not programs, policies or procedures. The latter are worthy subjects, but only as they apply to people. 
The careful writer's checklist. Have I: ? Used simple sentences? ? Been concise? ? Been sensual? ? Used similes? ? Written about people?   LibelIn writing the news, a reporter handles a valuable and fragile possession, a person's reputation. In reviewing your writing, make sure you have not injured someone's reputation unnecessarily. Have you libeled them? Here are some things to look for:1. First a definition: Libel is the injury to reputation that occurs when a false, published report charges criminal conduct, immorality or incompetence in one's business, profession or office.2. The key word in that definition is "false." Truth is the best defense against libel, but knowing it and proving it are two things. Off-the-record sources may refuse to testify for you in court. Be certain you can prove what you publish.3. You will not be guilty of libel if your false report is privileged. It can be privileged if it was a full, fair and accurate report from a judicial, legislative or other public proceeding or from a public record, and if it was done without malice.4. If you repeat a libelous statement, you can be held liable,even though it is attributed. Disclaimers such as "it is alleged"or "it is reported" won't save you.5. Reporters enjoy great protection when they cover public officials. The Supreme Court has defined these public officials as those "who have substantial responsibility for, or control over, the conduct of public affairs."6. To successfully recover damages for a defamatory falsehood, a public official must prove "actual malice." In other words, the reporter knew the facts were false, or had a reckless disregard of whether the facts were false—he or she did not check their accuracy using normal reporting practices.7. The same standards apply to public figures. These are prominent private citizens, some celebrities or those who have thrust themselves into a public controversy.8. However, private citizens enjoy a different standard than public officials or public figures. They must prove only negligence or carelessness to successfully sue for libel.9. At least 90 percent of all libel suits arise from run-of-the-mill stories. A Harvard study concluded: "The gee-whiz, slam-bang stories usually aren't the ones that generate libel, but innocent appearing, potentially treacherous minor yarns from police court, traffic cases, from routine meetings and from business reports."10. Libel usually results from carelessness, exaggerated writing, statements of officials made outside privileged situations, inadequate verification or failure by the reporter to talk with the subject of the defamation. 第三部分：新闻编辑 EthicsA doctor who prescribes an illegal medicine could lose his license. A lawyer who misleads a client, or an accountant who knowingly misrepresents a company's financial statement, may be guilty of violating a code of ethics. But a reporter who poses as a policeman to get private phone records may win a Pulitzer Prize. The doctor, lawyer and accountant must pass exams to be licensed, and they have regulatory bodies to enforce proper conduct. Journalism does not, for these are seen as contrary to a free press. The power to license or regulate is the power to censor. So it is crucial as you are revising your writing to reflect on how it came to be. Have your behaved ethically?1. Two of the defining characteristics of a profession are its mandatory code of behavior and the enforcement of that code. Journalism has neither. You become a journalist when youdeclare that you are one, and you remain one as long as youkeep declaring it.2. Reporters may feel responsible to the public, but they are not. Their readers do not elect them and cannot fire them. The government does not license them or set standards for behavior. They are not responsible to other reporters. They are responsible only to themselves and their employers. Reporters are self-regulated.3. Because of this, newspaper work has been described as a "swampland where eerie mists of judgment hang low over a boggy terrain." It is, but there are standards to light the way. Some of them are: a. Seek truth and report it fully. Inform yourself continually. Be honest, fair and courageous in gathering and reporting the news. Give voice to the voiceless, and hold the powerful accountable.b. Seek out and disseminate competing perspectives without being unduly influenced by those who would use their power counter to public interest. Remain free of associations and activities that may compromise your integrity or damage your credibility.c. Minimize harm. Be compassionate of those affected by your actions. Treat sources, subjects and colleagues with respect, not as means to an end. Do not lie, pose or misrepresent yourself.d. Don't report on any group or organization to which you belong. Avoid active involvement in partisan causes, politics, community affairs, social actions or demonstrations. Avoid service on governmental, quasi-governmental or community-wide boards, commissions or committees.e. Don't write about someone related by blood or marriage, or someone with whom you have a personal or financial relationship. Don't use your position to seek benefit or advantage in business, financial or commercial transactions. Don't take freebies. 
The ethical reporter: ? Avoids writing about a friend or relative ? Avoids writing about a business partner ? Does not seek benefit in business or financial transactions ? Ref   A course in the principles and practices of editing the modern magazine or newspaper. Emphasis will be on copy editing (including grammar, usage and AP style), headline writing, picture editing, typography, layout and computer page design. Class assignments include extensive practical exercises in all aspects of newspaper and magazine editing.