1111 2 3 4 5 6 7 The Newspapers Handbook 8 9 10111 11 12 13 14 15 16 17111 ‘Richard Keeble’s handbook is a superb guide for those who believe in free journalism.’ 18 John Pilger 19 ‘This really is a superb book and a “must have” for any aspiring journalist.’ Jane Taylor, 20 Head of Journalism, the Surrey Institute of Art & Design, University College 21 22 ‘Each edition of this key textbook gets better. It is a mine of information from 23 which aspiring journalists can extract nuggets of gold, managing to be both comprehensive 24 and detailed while combining a sense of history with up-to-date events. Most important of 25 all, Richard Keeble consistently points to the need for improvements to journalistic ethics. 26 Quite simply, it’s a must-read.’ Professor Roy Greenslade, Department of Journalism, City 27 University 28 The Newspapers Handbook remains the essential guide to working as a newspaper 29 journalist. It examines the ever-changing, everyday skills of newspaper reporting and 30111 explores the theoretical, ethical and political dimensions of a journalist’s job. 31 The Newspapers Handbook encourages a critical approach to newspaper practice. 32 Thoroughly updated for the fourth edition and using a range of new examples from tabloid, 33 compact and broadsheet newspapers, non-mainstream and local publications, Richard 34 Keeble examines key journalistic skills such as the art of interviewing, news reporting, 35 reviewing, feature writing, using the internet and freelancing. New chapters from John 36 Turner, Nick Nuttall and Mark Hanna explore the specialisms of local and national govern- 37 ment reporting, investigative journalism and covering the courts. 38 39 The Newspapers Handbook includes: 40 • Interviews with journalists about their working practices 41 • Examples of writing from a range of recent publications 42 • A guide to training and career opportunities 43 • The importance of new technologies for the newspaper industry 44 • An updated glossary of key terms and a revised bibliography. 45 Richard Keeble is Professor of Journalism at the University of Lincoln and former director 46 of undergraduate studies for the Department of Journalism at City University. He is the 47 author of Ethics for Journalists and editor of Print Journalism: A critical introduction. 48 49111 1 Media Practice 2 3 edited by James Curran, Goldsmiths College, University of London 4 5 6 The Media Practice Handbooks are comprehensive resource books for students of 7 media and journalism, and for anyone planning a career as a media professional. 8 Each handbook combines a clear introduction to understanding how the media work 9 with practical information about the structure, processes and skills involved in 10 working in today’s media industries, providing not only a guide on ‘how to do it’ 11 but also a critical reflection on contemporary media practice. 12 13 14 The Newspapers Handbook 4th edition 15 16 Richard Keeble 17 18 19 The Radio Handbook 2nd edition 20 Carole Fleming 21 22 23 The Advertising Handbook 2nd edition 24 25 Sean Brierley 26 27 28 The Television Handbook 3rd edition 29 30 Jonathan Bignell and Jeremy Orlebar 31 32 33 The Photography Handbook 2nd edition 34 35 Terence Wright 36 37 38 The Magazines Handbook 2nd edition 39 Jenny McKay 40 41 42 The Public Relations Handbook 2nd edition 43 44 Alison Theaker 45 46 47 The Cyberspace Handbook 48 49 Jason Whittaker 111150 1111 2 3 4 5 6 The Newspapers 7 8 9 Handbook 10111 11 Fourth edition 12 13 14 15 16 17111 18 19 20 Richard Keeble 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30111 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49111 1 2 3 4 5 First published 1994 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Taylor & Francis Inc 270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016 Reprinted 1995, 1997 Second edition published 1998 Reprinted 1999, 2000 Third edition published 2001 Reprinted 2004 Fourth edition published 2006 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005. “To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.” © 1994, 1998, 2001, 2006 Richard Keeble; individual chapters, the contributors All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Keeble, Richard, 1948– The newspapers handbook/Richard Keeble.—4th ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Newspaper publishing – Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Journalism – Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Title. PN4783.K44 2005 070.1′72–dc22 2005010474 ISBN 0-203-39235-3 Master e-book ISBN ISBN10: 0–415–33113–7 (hbk) ISBN10: 0–415–33114–5 (pbk) ISBN13: 9–78–0–415–33113–5 (hbk) ISBN13: 9–78–0–415–33114–2 (pbk) 1111 2 3 4 Contents 5 6 7 8 9 Notes on contributors vi 10111 Preface vii 11 Acknowledgements ix 12 13 1 Behind the Hollywood myths: the journalist’s job 1 14 15 2 Efficks, ethics or politics? 26 16 17111 3 Sourcing the news 51 18 4 The art of interviewing 74 19 20 5 Learning the language of news 94 21 6 News reporting: beyond the five Ws 109 22 23 7 Planning for the unforeseen: covering transport 24 accidents, fires, demonstrations and human 25 interest stories 128 26 8 More news assignments: meetings, press conferences, 27 reports, speeches and eye-witness reporting 150 28 29 9 Powerful information: reporting national and local 30111 government 164 31 John Turner 32 10 All human life: covering the courts 192 33 Mark Hanna 34 35 11 Investigative reporting: the times they are a-changin’? 204 36 Nick Nuttall 37 12 Feature writing: thinking visually, painting pictures 38 with words 219 39 40 13 Some specialist areas: personal columns, reviewing, 41 freelancing 240 42 43 14 New technology: how journalism can damage 44 your health 256 45 15 On or off the job – or both? Training and careers 260 46 47 Glossary 266 48 Bibliography 280 49111 Index 292 1 2 3 4 Notes on contributors 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Mark Hanna is a lecturer in the Department of Journalism Studies, Sheffield 18 University. He worked for eighteen years as a journalist for regional daily newspa- 19 pers, specialising in crime and investigations, and for the Observer as northern 20 reporter. His awards and commendations include Provincial Journalist of the Year in 21 the British Press Awards. He is treasurer of the Association for Journalism Education. 22 23 Nick Nuttall is a senior lecturer at the University of Lincoln School of Journalism 24 where he teaches mass media writing, investigative reporting and feature writing. 25 Travel writer, record-shop owner, PR consultant, he worked for many years in East 26 Africa, the Middle East and Cyprus, writing on communication issues for many local 27 and regional papers. His research interests include press history, and the journalism 28 of Allen Ginsberg and the ‘Beat’ writers. He was journalism course leader at 29 Southampton Institute before moving to Lincoln in 1999. 30 31 John Turner is a Senior Political Consultant with ICM Research, a major polling 32 organisation. He carries out opinion surveys and organises focus groups for a number 33 of political and media organisations, including the Guardian, the Observer and 34 Channel 4 News. He is also a Research Fellow in the School of Social Science and 35 Law at Oxford Brookes University. 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 111150 1111 2 3 4 Preface 5 6 7 8 9 10111 11 12 13 14 15 16 17111 I had many ambitions when I sat down to write the first edition of this textbook in 18 the early 1990s. I saw journalists and media theorists living in completely separate 19 (and often antagonistic) ‘worlds’. So by linking theory and practice I was hoping to 20 encourage dialogue between the two. I wanted to root the study of practical skills in 21 an awareness of the political economy of the media. And I wanted to build on the 22 day-to-day experiences of journalists. Hence, near the start, I carry profiles of five 23 journalists: male and female, black and white, mainstream and alternative. 24 I was concerned at the narrow, Anglocentric focus of journalism education in 25 many places, and so my examples and cuttings focus on foreign as well as UK events. 26 Ethics (which I ground in a political understanding) is not buried at the end but, 27 because of its importance, symbolically high up there near the start. And I wanted 28 to celebrate and critique the work of journalists in all sectors. So I don’t just focus 29 on Fleet Street but look at local mainstream newspapers as well as the ethnic, leftist, 30111 alternative press. 31 In some respects, the media have gone through revolutionary changes since 1994, 32 and it is still too early to assess the overall impact of the internet.