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JOURNALISTIC TERMS AND DEFINITIONS:

absolute privilege The right of legislators, judges and government executives to speak without threat of libel when acting in their official capacities.

absolutism The ethical philosophy that there is a fixed set of principles or laws from which there is no deviation. To the absolutist journalist, the end never justifies the means.

actual malice Reckless disregard of the truth. It is a condition in libel cases.

actual malice test Protection for reporters to write anything about an officeholder or candidate unless they know that the material is false or they recklessly disregard the truth.

ad An advertisement.

add A typewritten page of copy following the first page. "First add" would be the second page of typewritten copy.

advance A report dealing with the subjects and issues to be dealt with in an upcoming meeting or event.

advertising department The department of the newspaper responsible for advertisements. Most advertising departments have classified and display ad sections.

anchor One in the television studio who ties together the newscast by reading the news and providing transitions from one story to the next.

anecdotal lead A newspaper story beginning that uses humor or an interesting incident.

anecdote An informative and entertaining story within a story.

angle The focus of, or approach to, a story. The latest development in a continuing controversy, the key play in a football game, or the tragedy of a particular death in a mass disaster may serve as an angle.

antinomianism The ethical philosophy that recognizes no rules. An antinomian journalist judges every ethical situation on its own merits. Unlike the situation ethicist, the antinomian does not use love of neighbor as an absolute.

AP The Associated Press, a worldwide news-gathering cooperative owned by its subscribers.

APME Associated Press Managing Editors, an organization of managing editors and editors whose papers are members of the Associated Press.

arraignment A court proceeding at which a defendant is informed of the charge. At the proceeding, the
defendant is asked to enter a plea, and bail may be set.

ASNE American Society of Newspaper Editors, an organization of directing editors of daily newspapers throughout the Americas

average A term used to describe typical or representative members of a group. In mathematical terms, it refers to the result obtained when a set of numbers is added together, then divided by the number of items in the set.

background Information that may be attributed to a source by title, but not by name; for example, "a White House aide said." backgrounder Story that explains and updates the news.

beat A reporter's assigned area of responsibility. A beat may be an institution, such as the courthouse; a
geographical area, such as a small town; or a subject, such as science. The term also refers to an exclusive story.

blotter An old-fashioned term for the arrest sheet that summarizes the bare facts of an arrest. Today this
information is almost always kept in a computer. books Assembled sheets of paper, usually newsprint, and carbon paper on which reporters prepare stories. Books are not used with modern computerized processes.

brightener A story, usually short, that is humorous or pleasing to the reader. It is also called a bright.

bureau A news-gathering office maintained by a newspaper at other than its central location. Papers may have
bureaus in the next county, in the state capital, in Washington, D.C., or in foreign countries.

business department The newspaper department that handles billing, accounting and related functions.

byline A line identifying the author of a story.

chain Two or more newspapers owned by a single person or corporation. Also known as a group. The American chain owning the most newspapers is Gannett.

change of venue An order transferring a court proceeding to another jurisdiction for prosecution. This often occurs when a party in a case claims that local media coverage has prejudiced prospective jurors.

circulation department The department responsible for distribution of the newspaper.

civil law Statutes under which an individual or a group can take action against another individual or group.

clips Stories clipped from your own or other newspapers.

closed-ended question A direct question designed to draw a specific response; for example, "Will you be a candidate?" conditional privilege See qualified privilege.

Consumer Price Index A tool used by the government to measure the rate of inflation. CPI figures, reported monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor, compare the net change in prices between the current period and a specified base period. Reporters should use this data to accurately reflect the actual costs of goods and services.

contributing editor Magazine columnist who works under contract and not as an employee of the magazine.

control The process of structuring an experiment so that the only forces affecting the outcome are the variables you are observing.

copy What reporters write. A story is a piece of copy.

copy desk The desk at which final editing of stories is done, headlines are written and pages are designed.

cover To keep abreast of significant developments on a beat or to report on a specific event. The reporter
covering the police beat may be assigned to cover a murder.

criminal law Statutes under which a grand jury or an officer of the court can take action against an individual.

cub A beginning reporter.

cutline The caption that accompanies a newspaper or magazine photograph. The term dates from the days when photos were reproduced with etched zinc plates, called cuts.

database A computerized information bank, usually accessed by newspapers on a subscription basis.

deadline The time by which a reporter, editor or desk must have completed scheduled work. deep background Information that may be used but that cannot be attributed to either a person or a position.

delayed-identification lead Opening paragraph of a story in which the "who" is identified by occupation, city, office, or any means other than by name.

dependent variable See variable.

desk A term used by reporters to refer to the city editor's or copy editor's position, as in, "The desk wants this story by noon."

desk assistant Entry-level position in television news rooms. Desk assistants handle routine news assignments such as monitoring wire services and listening to police scanners.

developing story One in which newsworthy events occur over several days or weeks.

dialogue A conversation between two or more people, neither of whom normally is the reporter.

dig To question or investigate thoroughly, as in, "Let's do some digging into those campaign reports."

documentary In-depth coverage of an issue or event, especially in broadcasting.

editorial department The news department of a newspaper, responsible for all content of the newspaper except advertising. At some papers this term refers to the department responsible for the editorial page only.

editorialize To inject the reporter's or the newspaper's opinion into a news story or headline. Most newspapers restrict opinion to analysis stories, columns and editorials.

executive producer The television executive with overall responsibility for the look of the television newscast.

fair comment and criticism Opinion delivered on the performance of anyone in the public eye. Such opinion is legally protected if reporters do not misstate any of the facts on which they base their comments or criticism, and it is not malicious.

felony Serious crime punishable by death or imprisonment.

field experiment A research technique in which the reporter deliberately takes some action to observe the effects. For example, a perfectly tuned automobile could be taken to several repair shops to find out if the mechanics would invent problems that required fixing.

field producer Behind-the-scenes television reporter who often does much of the field work for a network's on-camera correspondents.

follow A story supplying further information about an item that has already been published; folo is an alternate spelling.

foreshadowing A technique of teasing readers with material coming later in the story as a way of encouraging them to keep reading.

Freedom of Information Act A law passed in 1966 to make it easier to obtain information from federal agencies. The law was amended in 1974 to improve access to government records.

free press-fair trial controversy The conflict between a defendant's right to an impartial jury and a reporter's responsibility to inform the public.

futures file A collection, filed according to date, of newspaper clippings, letters, notes and other information to remind editors of stories to assign.

general manager The individual responsible for the business operations of a newspaper. Some newspaper chains award this title to the top-ranking local executive.

graf A shortened form of paragraph, as in "Give me two grafs on that fire."

handout See news release.

hard lead A lead that reports a new development or newly discovered fact. See also soft lead.

hard news Coverage of the actions of government or business; or the reporting of an event, such as a crime, an accident or a speech. The time element often is important. See also soft news.

human-interest story A piece valued more for its emotional impact or oddity than for its importance.

hypothesis In investigative reporting the statement a reporter expects to be able to prove, as in, "The mayor took a bribe from that massage parlor." In an experiment the statement of what a researcher hopes to find.

immediate-identification lead The opening paragraph of a story in which the "who" is reported by name.

independent variable See variable.

indictment A document issued by a grand jury that certifies there is sufficient evidence against a person accused of a crime to warrant holding that person for trial.

inflation A term that describes the rising cost of living as time goes by. See also Consumer Price Index.

information graphic A visual representation of data.

invasion of privacy Violation of a person's right to be left alone.

inverted pyramid The organization of a news story in which information is arranged in descending order of importance.

investigative reporting The pursuit of information that has been concealed, such as evidence of wrongdoing.

IRE Investigative Reporters and Editors, a group created to exchange information and investigative reporting techniques. IRE has its headquarters at the University of Missouri School of Journalism.

lay out (v.) The process of preparing page drawings to indicate where stories and pictures are to be placed in the newspaper.

layout (n.) The completed page drawing, or page dummy.

lead (1) The first paragraph or first several paragraphs of a newspaper story (sometimes spelled lede); (2) the story given the best display on Page One; (3) a tip.

lead-in An introduction to a filmed or recorded excerpt from a news source or from another reporter.

lead story The major story displayed at the top of Page One.

libel Damage to a person's reputation caused by a false written statement that brings the person into hatred, contempt or ridicule, or injures his or her business or occupational pursuit.

maestro The leader of a news-gathering team. Reporters, copy editors, editors and graphic designers work with a maestro to create special reports.

margin of error (also called sampling error) In surveys, the range within which you can be confident of accuracy. A survey with a margin of error of 3 percent, for example, typically has a 95 percent chance of being accurate within 3 percent above or below the exact result. An allowance must be made in any survey for the possibility that the sample questioned may not be exactly like all other members of the population. The margin of error varies with the size of the sample population, and should be reported in every news story about a survey.

median The middle number in a series arranged in order of size; it is often used when an average would be
misleading. (If the series has an even number of items, the median consists of the average of the two "middle" numbers.)

misdemeanors Minor criminal offenses, including most traffic violations, which usually result in a fine or brief confinement in a local jail.

more Designation used at the end of a page of copy to indicate there are one or more additional pages.

morgue The newspaper library, where published stories, photographs and resource material are stored for reference.

multiple-element lead The opening paragraph of a story that reports two or more newsworthy elements.

narration The telling of a story, usually in chronological order.

negligence test The legal standard that requires reporters to use the same care in gathering facts and writing a story as any reasonable individual would under similar circumstances.

network correspondent A television reporter who delivers the news on camera. Network correspondents may or may not do the actual news-gathering for their stories.

new media The emerging forms of computer-delivered news.

news conference An interview session, also called a press conference, in which someone submits to questions from reporters.

news director The top news executive of a local television station. news release An item, also called a handout or press release, that is sent out by a group or individual seeking publicity.

news room The place, sometimes called the city room, where reporters and editors work. news story A story that emphasizes the facts, often written in inverted pyramid style.

news value How important or interesting a story is. not for attribution Information that may not be ascribed to its source.

nut paragraph A paragraph that summarizes the key element or elements of the story. Usually found in a story not written in inverted pyramid form. Also called a nut graf.

obscenity A word or phrase usually referring to sexual parts or functions in an offensive way.

off-camera reporter One who gathers news for television but does not report on the air.

off the record Usually means, "Don't quote me." Some sources and reporters, however, use it to mean, "Don't print this." Phrases with similar, and equally ambiguous, meanings are "not for attribution" and "for background only."

op-ed page The page opposite the editorial page, frequently reserved for columns, letters to the editor and
personality profiles.

open-ended question One that permits the respondent some latitude in the answer; for example, "How did you get involved in politics?"

open-meetings laws State and federal laws, often called sunshine laws, guaranteeing access to meetings of public officials. open-records laws State and federal laws guaranteeing access to many-but not all-kinds of government records.

parallelism A technique of presenting ideas in similar grammatical forms.

paraphrase A paraphrase digests, condenses and clarifies a quotation to convey the meaning more precisely or succinctly than the way in which the speaker's words express it. Quotation marks are eliminated.

participant observation A research technique in which the reporter joins in the activity he or she wants to write about.

payola Money or gifts given in the expectation of favors from journalists.

per capita Latin term meaning "by heads." It is determined by dividing a total figure-such as a budget-by the number of people to which it applies.

percentage Mathematical way to express the portion of a whole. Literally means a given part of every hundred. Determined by taking the number of the portion, dividing by the number of the whole, and moving the decimal over two places.

piece See story.

plagiarism The use of any part of another's writing and passing it off as your own.

play A shortened form of display. A good story may be played at the top of Page One; a weak one may be played inside.

poll The measurement of opinion by questioning members of some small group chosen at random so as to be representative of the entire group. A poll is also referred to as a survey or public opinion poll. See also randomization.

population In scientific language the whole group being studied. Depending on the study the population may be, for example, voters in St. Louis, physicians in California or all residents of the United States.

preliminary hearing A court hearing held to determine whether there is probable cause that a defendant
committed a crime and whether the defendant should be bound over for grand jury action or trial in a higher court.

press The machine that prints the newspaper. Also a synonym for journalism, as in the phrase "freedom of the press." Sometimes used to denote print journalism, as distinguished from broadcast journalism.

press agent A person hired to gain publicity for a client. The tactics used, often called press agentry, might include the staging of interviews or stunts designed to attract the attention of reporters.

press box The section of a stadium or arena set aside for reporters. press conference See news conference.
press release See news release.

privilege A defense against libel that claims the right to repeat what government officials say or do in their official capacities.

production department The department of the newspaper that transforms the work of the news and advertising departments into the finished product. The composing room and press room are key sections of this department.

profanity A word or phrase contemptuously referring to the deity or to beings regarded as divine; a sacrilegious expression.

profile A story intended to reveal the personality or character of an institution or person. proportion Puts
something in proper relation to something else-explains specific numbers in the news by relating them to the size or magnitude of the whole.

public figure A person who has assumed a role of prominence in the affairs of society and who has persuasive power and influence in a community or who has thrust himself or herself to the forefront of a public controversy. Courts have given journalists more latitude in reporting on public figures.

public journalism The new (or rediscovered) approach to journalism that emphasizes connections with the community rather than separation from it. Among the newspapers best known for practicing public journalism are the Wichita (Kan.) Eagle and The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer.

Pulitzer Prize The most prestigious of journalism awards. It was established by Joseph Pulitzer and is
administered by Columbia University.

qualified privilege The right to report what government officials say or do in their official capacities if the report is full, fair and accurate. Also called conditional privilege.

quote As a noun, the term refers to a source's exact words, as in, "I have a great quote here." As a verb, it means to report those words inside quotation marks.

randomization The mathematical process used to assure that every member of a population being studied has an equal chance of being chosen for questioning or observation. See also poll.

rate The amount or degree of something measured in relation to a unit of something else or to a specified scale. In statistics, rate often expresses the incidence of a condition per 100,000 people, such as a murder or suicide rate. Rate also can reflect the speed at which something is changing, such as inflation or the percentage increase in a budget each year. See also per capita.

records column The part of the newspaper featured regularly that contains such information as routine police and fire news, births, obituaries, marriages and divorces.

rewrite To write a story again in an effort to improve it. It also means to take information over the telephone from a reporter in the field and mold it into a story.

roundup A story including a number of related events. After a storm, for example, a reporter might do a roundup of accidents, power outages and other consequences of the storm. sample A portion of a group, or population, chosen for study as representative of the entire group.

scenic lead A lead that concentrates on a description of an environment. second-cycle story A second version of a story already published, also called a second-day story. It usually has new information or a new angle.

senior editor One who edits sections of major magazines. senior writer A title reserved for a magazine's best and most experienced reporters.

series Two or more stories on the same or related subjects, published on a predetermined schedule.

service journalism An aspect or type of journalism that recognizes usefulness as one of the criteria of news. Taking into consideration content and presentation, service journalism presents useful information in a usable way, for instance, placing key information in a list or graphic box.

set-up In broadcasting, an introductory statement to pique the interest of listeners or viewers.

shield laws Legislation giving journalists the right to protect the identity of sources.

show producer Television news specialists who produce individual newscasts and report to the executive producer.

sidebar A secondary story intended to be run with a major story on the same topic. A story about a disaster, for example, may have a sidebar that tells what happened to a single victim.

situation ethics The philosophy that recognizes that a set of rules can be broken when circumstances dictate the community will be served better by it. For example, a journalist who believes it normally unethical to deceive a news source may be willing to conceal his or her identity to infiltrate a group operating illegally.

slug A word that identifies a story as it is processed through the newspaper plant. It is usually placed in the upper left-hand corner of each take of the story. See also take.

sniff The preliminary phase of an investigation. soft lead A lead that uses a quote, anecdote or other literary device to attract the reader. See also hard lead.

soft news Stories about trends, personalities or lifestyles. The time element usually is not important. See also hard news.

sources People or records from which a reporter gets information. The term often is used to describe persons, as opposed to documents.

spot news A timely report of an event that is unfolding at the moment. spreadsheet Computer program adept at managing numbers. Often used for budgets.

story The term most journalists use for a newspaper article. Another synonym is piece, as in, "I saw your piece on the mayor." A long story may be called a takeout or a blockbuster.

stylebook A book of standard usage within newspaper text. It includes rules on grammar, punctuation, capitalization and abbreviation. The AP and UPI publish similar stylebooks that are used by most papers.

substantial truth The correctness of the essential elements of a story.

summary lead The first paragraph of a news story in which the writer presents a synopsis of two or more actions rather than focusing on any one of them.

sunshine laws See open-meetings laws.

take A page of typewritten copy for newspaper use.

30 A designation used to mark the end of a newspaper story. The symbol # is an alternate designation.

tickler A file of upcoming events kept on paper or computer at the assignment desks of most news organizations. See also futures file.

tie-back The sentence or sentences relating a story to events covered in a previous story. Used in follow-up or continuing stories or in parts of a series of stories. Also, the technique of referring to the opening in the ending of the story.

tip A fragment of information that may lead to a story; also called a lead.

transition A word, phrase, sentence or paragraph that moves the reader from one thought to the next and shows the relationship between them.

undercover reporting A technique in which a reporter pretends to be someone else in order to gain access to otherwise unobtainable information.

universal desk A copy desk that edits material for all editorial departments of a newspaper. update A type of follow that reports on a development related to an earlier story.

UPI United Press International, a worldwide news-gathering organization that is privately owned.

variable In an experiment, one of the elements being observed. The independent variable is what is thought to be a cause; the dependent variable is the effect of that cause.

videographer A television camera operator.

videoprompter A mechanical or electronic device that projects broadcast copy next to the television camera lens so that a newscaster can read it while appearing to look straight into the lens.

vulgarity A word or phrase dealing with excretory matters in a less-than-polite way.

wrap-up The completion of commentary that comes at the end of a taped segment in broadcasting; a strong ending to a report.

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