They exercise sound judgment when blogging or writing yet unverified information on the newspaper’s website during a breaking story. The Qualities of a Good Newspaper Journalist. In my 20-plus years consulting with novelists, screenwriters and nonfiction authors, I have identified seven common traits in stories, across all genres, that most industry pros seem to agree signify a high concept. meets the reader’s expectations, is clear and concise, is efficient and effective. Think of your writing this way: One of the most important attributes of a good teacher is the ability to explain complexity in a way that is understandable and relatable to the topic being presented. A solid ethical core characterizes a good journalist. This approach defines the ingredients of effective writing for students to practice and teachers to assess, equipping both parties with tools for strategically analyzing written work. They put personal feelings aside to boldly unearth the truth about newsworthy people, places and events. Qualities to Look for in a Newspaper Editor, The Average Starting Salaries for a Broadcast Journalist, The Salary, Hourly Wages & Benefits for the Newspaper Industry, Job Description of an Editorial Page Writer. Good writing. Newspaper journalists include background information and needed detail to give context to a more nuanced understanding of the issue by the reader. Qualities of Academic Writing Write to Learn. You must be highly proficient in English grammar, technical writing and proper attribution of sources to be a good newspaper journalist and not lose your job. What the good writer does is to unconsciously regurgitate all the writings and styles of the good writers he or she has read over the years. What Education and Training Is Necessary to Be a Reporter? As part of their job, newspaper journalists follow and use social media appropriately to provide immediate and transparent coverage of happening events. You also need superior written, verbal and interpersonal skills to excel as a newspaper journalist. Writing helps you think, and thinking is what college is all about. Even when faced with looming deadlines, good newspaper journalists take time to get a balanced accounting of the subject. Technology, such as Facebook and LinkedIn help them contact potential sources to request information or an interview. Good writing does not just happen overnight. Choosing the right question and the right research problem is the key to success for every research. Fairness, objectivity and honesty matter when reporting everything from local referendums and proposed state tax increases to presidential elections. Professional newspaper journalists dedicate their life to reporting the news no matter what the personal risk. For instance, newspaper journalists may rush to the scene of an ongoing hostage siege, school shootings or natural disaster to interview police and witnesses. Are there any traits that an article writer must possess in order to come out good article writing? They are not satisfied making phone calls from a comfortable desk in the newsroom when covering major happenings. Good journalists push themselves to dig deeper and ask tough questions. This is also one of the main functions of academic writing--examining and explaining the significance of complex ideas as clearly as possible. But there's a more important reason to write. At Empire State College — because you study independently, sometimes at a distance from your mentor or tutor — writing is a way to show your mentor you have learned. They step aside if covering that story would be a conflict of interest, such as writing a feature article about a family member’s new bistro. They know how to use the internet to research stories and access public records when engaging in investigative journalism. Mary Dowd holds a doctorate in educational leadership and a master’s in counseling and student affairs from Minnesota State Mankato. Newspaper journalism is still a vital form of communication, even in the digital age. Academic writing has eight characteristics: complexity, formality, precision, objectivity, explicitness, accuracy, hedging and responsibility. Think of it as a collection of qualities that once identified can help you pinpoint the height of the concept present in your story. They are astute observers and instinctively sense when there is much more to a story than what is being shared at a news conference, for example. This should be linear, having a main idea or theme, followed constantly. The six traits of writing model provides a recipe for successful prose writing. Critical thinking skills are crucial when weighing conflicting accounts of an incident and assessing the credibility of sources. To the above list from Bailey, let’s add some additional qualities that define good writing. Reporters should only share opinions in newspaper editorial pieces. Unlike radio, television or online journalists, they go far beyond sound bytes and superficial coverage of a situation. 7 Qualities of a Good News Story. If you are thinking about a journalism career, ask yourself if you have the qualities of courage, integrity and fairness. The public expects and deserves prompt, accurate and objective information. Every research topic should specifically answer a research question. Professional journalists abhor fake news based on rumor, innuendo and unverifiable anonymous tips. Over the years I have modified, simplified, and in many cases changed much of the language outright because it seemed to work better for me that way in the classroom. Good newspaper journalists have an analytical mind and base stories on evidence and facts, not emotion. Currently she is a dean of students at a large, public university. It offers factual information on a given subject and it doesn’t intend to entertain. Along with impeccable character, newspaper journalists must be skilled communicators to interview sources and write in-depth stories. By Laura Holloway As a senior living marketing professional, it can be daunting to approach the media with a story suggestion. All the qualities of a good research topic are based on one factor that is specificity. Typically, journalists have a bachelor’s degree in communication or journalism and relevant undergraduate experience, such as writing for their college newspaper. Courage is vital to investigating what is happening at the scene. The main purpose of academic writing in English language is to inform the reader. What Are the Advantages of Being a Journalist? Dr. Dpwd’s writing experience includes published research, training materials and hundreds of practical online articles. Investigative reporting and in-depth stories are integral parts of newspaper journalism, but whether the reporter is covering a nasty scandal at city hall, an article … To meet the reader’s expectations, the writer needs to understand who the intended reader is. What Is the Difference Between a Journalist & a Reporter? Job Description of a Staff Writer at a Weekly Newspaper, National Public Radio Ethics Handbook: This Is NPR, University of Wisconsin-Madison: Center for Journalism Ethics, O-Net OnLine: Summary Report for Reporters and Correspondents, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: OOH: How to Become a Reporter, Correspondent or Broadcast News Analyst. When does one consider an article material to be of good quality? More Qualities of Good Writing. Helping students succeed has been her passion while serving in many areas of student affairs and adjunct teaching. They also maximize use of technology to instantly inform the public about matters that may directly affect their health and safety, such as a food recall. For example, newspaper journalists may travel to the scene of dangerous floodwaters in their community and talk to volunteers who are helping sandbag a faltering dam. The framework I'm using here to talk about good writing is based on the Six Traits model which I received my training in from Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. But, with a little knowledge of what makes a story compelling, you will be better equipped to pitch your idea with confidence. The Article explains why each of these qualities is essential to good legal writing, and it examines the tools good writers use to make their writing clear, concise, and engaging. Penny Bailey on science writing: 'You need to know how to tell a good story' Our blog to accompany the 2013 Wellcome Trust Science Writing Prize asks top science writers about their craft.