news reporting and writing ch. 8, 22

chapter 8 - writing to be read
i think that this is the most important skill that writer can have. being able to write something that people will generally enjoy reading. the book goes through many aspects of what makes writing good to read.
- good reporting (taking notes on not only the facts and quotes but specific details by observing)
- having writing be precise, clear and concrete (keeping writing simple is a huge factor in readability)
- knowing the rules of grammar (duh)
- be coherent (knowing how to put your ideas together in an organized manner is more difficult than it sounds. you must know how to properly compose a sentence, and how to use transitions and parallelism in the correct way)
- concrete details (this coincides with good reporting. not only do you have to have the facts but the writing should also appeal to some of the five senses)
follow these rules, and you can't go wrong.


chapter 22 - media law
sometimes it is scary to think that maybe someday, i could be sued or put into jail for writing a story. you never think that there is so much riding on a story in a newspaper, but ever detail has to be exact or else there could be huge consequences. while journalists do have more legal rights than many other occupations, it is mostly for their protection. i feel that as long as a journalist sticks to the truth, double checks his sources, and keeps to the standard code of ethics there shouldn't be problems.
every journalists knows his rights and his limitations, its part of the job. you know that you can't trespass on property, or video tape someone without their consent unless it is a public figure.
just use common sense, and don't get caught up in the chase of getting a story. to be a good journalists you have to be able to remain level-headed and make good decisions. or else perhaps you should find another field of work.