To define news is one thing to get it is an extra. To collect news the reporter should know where and when to look for it, what and whom to see, why and how to verify the facts he assembled and when and how to use the information he has gotten to write a story. News gathering is the chief occupation of both cub and experienced reporters.
NEWS GATHERING AND ITS SOURCES
Every story begins as a stream does “from a basis”. You cannot find a great story today that does not have a story. This reminds me what one of my great Professors told me-that every PhD as a story! Such stories also have an opening. This is the major reason most persons who are unknown with the news gathering process often wonder how reporters gather and assemble their information, how do they get access to information and information sources, and how do they sustain the daily publication of news in their media organizations. There are three broad categories of sources of news stories thus:
- Predictable Sources 2. Unpredictable Sources 3.Anticipated Sources
1 Predictable Source:
These are sources that frequently service the news industry either because of their function that formulate their activities of public interest or by their nature that help generate events that attract a large number of people. Predictable Sources include diary of news, published reports in form of newspapers, magazines, journals, and handouts, broadcast on Radio/TV and prepared speeches. It also includes active or dramatic newsbreaks, which include news from the police, hospitals, fire service, hotels, schools, religious organizations, labor and political associations. With predictable sources, you are sure to get something from there all the time.
2 Unpredictable Sources:
This means a nose for news that borders on the ability, training, exposure and experience of the reporter to determine what news is and report it accordingly. Unpredictable sources are the likely sources where breaking news or tips that could lead to scoop could come from.
3 Anticipated Sources
This is quite same as predictable sources except for the fact that anticipated sources are restricted to planned events that a reporter knows will definitely happen. Such events include a national day celebration, budget speech, special anniversaries, Labor Day etc.
No matter the sources of getting news, a good reporter must have the ability to listen, see and have attributes of a good interviewer. These are needed in dealing with those sources. In summary, a reporter gets news by:
- Going to the scene of the news event and observe events unfold;
- Talking to people what witnessed the event happen or what you will consider as using eye witness accounts;
- Consulting secondary sources like records, reports, documents, files, etc to cross check and corroborate facts and figures.
Sources could also be human in nature, physical or online. Human sources are those personal contacts you have make over time. They are also authorities and people involved in news events. The physical sources are consists of records, papers, reference works etc. The Online sources include a vast array of human and physical sources, from academics to government data (Mencher, 2010).
[This article is published by Media Center-IMAC in interest of student awareness and career guidance. Media Center-IMAC specializes in Post-Graduate/Under-Graduate diploma courses in Media Studies and Mass Communication & TV journalism. With practical oriented and industry specific course, Media Center- IMAC is a prominent institution in Delhi.
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