Journalists have traditionally used three sources of information to get news. These are:
a. Direct observation
b. Human or secondary sources
c. Documents or tertiary sources
Each of these sources is equally important. Often, a news report is based on information obtained from all three sources; sometimes from just one. Much depends on how a journalist is able to filter out information that has relevance for his readers.
For this, a journalist must be familiar with the needs of his target audience; should know his subject well; and should be willing to go the extra mile to obtain that little nugget of information that can give life to a news report.
# Direct observation
This can be a most rewarding source, especially if you want to be a good storyteller. For instance, you can station yourself outside the emergency ward and observe how the victims of a blast are being handled.
Are the stretchers in good condition? Are there enough doctors, nurses to handle the stream of patients? How are the relatives of patients behaving? What is the effect of the frenzied activity on patients who were already admitted in the hospital? What happens when the VIPs start arriving?
You can gather this information only through careful observation, and meticulous note taking. Don’t depend upon your memory alone. Note every point that strikes you as unusual or noteworthy.
It is this description that will make your story different. Of course, you must not turn your news report into fiction. You must stick to facts, and describe what you see. You can gather this information only through careful observation, and meticulous note taking. Don’t depend upon your memory alone. Note every point that strikes you as unusual or noteworthy.
One reason the sports stories have more life is because they are based on direct observation. The sports reporter witnesses the game, makes copious notes, and then writes the report.
# Secondary sources
The bulk of news reports are based on secondary sources that is information provided by authorities, eyewitnesses, or individuals directly associated with an incident or event. This information is obtained through:
a. Interviews: A reporter gets to know about rioting in a city market. He immediately calls the police official in charge of that area to get details. The police official will provide only those facts that are “official”. This may include the number of people who have died or injured in the rioting, what the administration has done to control rioting, what are the possible reasons of rioting, where have the victims been taken.
The reporter can limit his report to information provided by authorities or visit the site of the riots, and obtain more information through direct observation and by interviewing residents of the area, who had witnessed the riots. The reporter can also speak to the policemen who were involved in bringing the riots under control.
The reporter can also phone or visit higher officials, if he is not satisfied with the official version of the event. Much depends on how good the reporter’s contacts are, and how far they are willing to provide information.
Interviews can also be conducted under sterile circumstances. In such cases, the reporter fixes a time with a well known public figure, and visits his home or office at the appointed hour. The reporter then asks a string of questions that may have been prepared before hand or may be framed on the spur of the moment. A news report is then prepared based on these answers. These reports can be exciting or dull based on how provocative are the answers given by the subject.
b. Press conferences: These are staged news events. A minister, a government official, a corporate chief or any celebrity may call a press conference to present his point of view. These may be the achievements of the government or of a corporate house or steps the local administration may be planning to tone up law and order. But the information flow is controlled by the individual who has called the press conference.
c. Press notes: Many organizations find it easy to mail press notes detailing their activities to newspapers. The newspaper reporters can then pick out useful information, and write news stories. Like press conferences, the press notes also portray the individual’s or organization’s point of view. It is for the reporter to use the information on face value or dig up more information before writing a story.
# Documents
An important source of material is what researchers call tertiary sources. These are reports of inquiry commissions, research material, documents, newspaper clippings, copies of judgements, hospital records etc.
This information can be used to supplement a report or else can be used to write a stand alone report. However, sifting through these reports is not easy. It requires great patience, and steely determination.
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