Free Printable Worksheets for learning Journalistic Writing at the College level

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Journalistic Writing

Definition

Journalistic writing refers to the practice of reporting, writing and editing news stories for print or digital media such as newspapers, magazines, television, radio or online platforms. It is intended to communicate information and events to a wide audience in a factual, objective, and engaging way.

Key Concepts

  • Accuracy: Journalistic writing should always be based on facts and accurate information. Journalists should verify their sources and ensure that the information they report is true to the best of their knowledge.

  • Objectivity: Journalistic writing should avoid bias or personal opinions. It is important to present all sides of a story fairly and objectively.

  • Ethics: Journalists must uphold ethical standards such as avoiding conflicts of interest, maintaining confidentiality, and respecting the privacy of individuals.

  • Writing style: Journalistic writing should be clear, concise, and engaging. It should also follow the rules of spelling and grammar.

Types of Journalism

  • Investigative journalism: attempts to uncover information that is hidden or not widely known, often involving in-depth research and interviews.

  • Feature writing: focuses on a specific topic or subject, providing a more in-depth and personal perspective.

  • Editorial writing: expresses the opinion of the publication or journalist on a specific issue or topic.

  • Environmental journalism: focuses on environmental issues and their impact on society.

Tips for Journalistic Writing

  • Research your topic thoroughly before writing
  • Start with a strong lead (first paragraph)
  • Use quotes from sources to provide context and credibility
  • Write for your audience
  • Edit thoroughly for accuracy, clarity, and grammar

Conclusion

Journalistic writing is a crucial element in the field of media and communication. It requires accuracy, objectivity, ethics, and a clear writing style. By following the key concepts and tips outlined in this info sheet, you can produce journalistic writing that is informative, engaging and impactful.

Here's some sample Journalistic Writing vocabulary lists Sign in to generate your own vocabulary list worksheet.

Word Definition
Correspondent A journalist or reporter who contributes news stories from a distant location
Journalism The activity or profession of writing for newspapers or magazines or creating news broadcasts
Inverted Pyramid A method of organizing news in which the most important information is stated first and the details follow in decreasing order of importance.
Byline A line at the head of an article in a newspaper or magazine giving the writer's name
Op-ed A newspaper or magazine article that expresses an opinion on a topical issue
Editor A person who is in charge of and determines the final content of a newspaper, magazine or any publication
Headline A heading at the top of an article or page in a newspaper or magazine
Press Release A written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something claimed as having news value
Freelancer A writer, reporter, or performer who is self-employed and not necessarily attached to a particular company or publication, especially one whose fees are calculated according to the amount or type of work done
Investigative Journalism The practice of investigating and reporting events, issues, and trends to a broad audience. This is commonly used for exposing wrongdoing within government, businesses, or organizations.
Angle The perspective or point of view that a writer or journalist takes towards a particular subject or issue
Bias The preference or inclination, either for or against anything, which prevents impartial judgment
Quotation A group of words taken from a text or speech and repeated by someone other than the original author or speaker
Fact-checking Verifying statements made in an article or news report to make sure they are accurate
Columnist A person who writes a regular column giving a personal viewpoint
Editorial An article in a newspaper or magazine expressing the opinions of its editors or publishers
Feature An article in a newspaper or magazine that is written about a particular subject or person
Libel The publication of a false statement about someone that damages their reputation
Masthead A list in a newspaper or magazine of the people who work on it, or a page at the front of a newspaper or periodical that lists the publication's name, staff, and other details
Newsroom A room where journalists work, especially one in which the news is produced for a newspaper, magazine or broadcasting company
Timeliness The characteristic of the information or news that is current and relevant to the present situation, providing new information or details about events as they happen

Here's some sample Journalistic Writing study guides Sign in to generate your own study guide worksheet.

Journalistic Writing Study Guide

Introduction

  • Define Journalistic Writing
  • Explain the importance of Journalistic Writing in today's society
  • Discuss the role of Journalistic Writing in the media industry

Basics of Journalistic Writing

  • Explain the 5 Ws and 1 H
  • Discuss the importance of accuracy and fact-checking in Journalistic Writing
  • Detail the different types of leads and how to use them
  • Describe the inverted pyramid structure and how to write using this method

Interviewing Skills

  • Discuss the different types of interviews and when to use them
  • Describe how to prepare for an interview and what to bring to the interview
  • Detail how to ask open-ended questions and listen effectively
  • Explain how to handle difficult or uncooperative sources during an interview

News Writing

  • Define a news story and its major elements
  • Discuss the difference between hard news and soft news
  • Explain how to write headlines and captions that accurately reflect the story
  • Detail how to write concisely while still conveying all necessary information

Features Writing

  • Define a feature story and its major elements
  • Discuss various approaches to feature writing, including profiling, trend pieces, and human interest stories
  • Explain how to identify the hook of a feature story
  • Detail how to use sensory details to create vivid imagery in your writing

Ethics in Journalistic Writing

  • Discuss the importance of ethical considerations when reporting and writing news stories
  • Explain the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Code of Ethics
  • Detail how to maintain accuracy and fairness in reporting
  • Discuss the implications of plagiarism and how to avoid it

Conclusion

  • Summarize the major points of Journalistic Writing covered in the study guide
  • Discuss the importance of continued practice and improvement in Journalistic Writing skills
  • Provide resources for further learning and practice in Journalistic Writing

Here's some sample Journalistic Writing practice sheets Sign in to generate your own practice sheet worksheet.

Practice Sheet - Journalistic Writing

Instructions

Answer the following questions to practice your skills in Journalistic Writing.

Short Answer

  1. What is the difference between a news article and an opinion piece?
  2. Name three important elements of a news story.
  3. What is the purpose of a headline in a news article?
  4. When should you use a direct quote in your news article?
  5. Name three characteristics of a good lead.

Writing Exercise

Write a brief news article on a recent event in your community or on a topic of your choice. Make sure to include a headline, lead, and at least one direct quote.

Critical Thinking

  1. How might the political climate of a country affect the freedom of the press?
  2. What are some ethical issues that journalists face in their work?
  3. How can journalists avoid bias in their reporting?
  4. Do you think it is important for news organizations to have a code of ethics? Why or why not?
  5. Do you think social media has had a positive or negative impact on journalism? Explain your answer.

Sample Problem

Question

You are a journalist for a local newspaper and you are writing an article about a recent event. What steps should you take to ensure that your article is accurate and unbiased?

Solution

  1. Research the event thoroughly: Research the event from multiple angles and perspectives to ensure that the article is comprehensive and unbiased.

  2. Verify facts and sources: Verify all facts and sources used in the article to ensure accuracy.

  3. Interview multiple sources: Interview multiple sources, including people who attended the event, to get a variety of perspectives.

  4. Avoid using loaded language: Avoid using language that is biased or loaded with emotion.

  5. Review the article: Review the article multiple times to ensure accuracy and fairness.

Question

What are the elements of a good news story?

Solution

  1. A clear and concise headline: The headline should be clear and concise, summarizing the main points of the story in a few words.

  2. A strong lead: The lead should grab the reader's attention and provide an overview of the story.

  3. Accurate facts: All facts should be accurate and verified.

  4. Quotes from sources: Quotes from sources are important to provide additional context to the story and to provide credibility.

  5. A conclusion: The conclusion should provide a summary of the story and should leave the reader with a sense of closure.

Practice Sheet for Learning Journalistic Writing

Objective

The objective of this practice sheet is to help students become familiar with the fundamentals of journalistic writing.

Overview

Journalistic writing is a type of writing that is designed to inform readers about current events and news stories. It is characterized by its concise, factual style and its focus on accuracy and objectivity.

Exercises

  1. What are the key elements of a news story?
  2. What is the difference between a news story and an opinion piece?
  3. What is the importance of accuracy and objectivity in journalistic writing?
  4. What are the differences between a feature story and a news story?
  5. What is the purpose of a lead sentence in a news story?
  6. What are the differences between a headline and a subhead?
  7. What is the importance of research in journalistic writing?
  8. What are the differences between an inverted pyramid structure and a chronological structure?
  9. How does one go about writing a compelling news story?
  10. What is the importance of using quotes in a news story?

Here's some sample Journalistic Writing quizzes Sign in to generate your own quiz worksheet.

Quiz: Journalistic Writing

Test your mastery of Journalistic Writing with the following problems. Write your answers in the blank space next to each problem.

Problem Answer
What is the purpose of a lead in a news article? ___________________________
How are headlines different from leads? ___________________________
What are some common ethical dilemmas faced by journalists? ___________________________
Name at least two techniques used in feature writing. ___________________________
What is the role of an editor in the newsroom? ___________________________
Define the term fact-checking and describe its importance in Journalism. ___________________________
What is the difference between on-the-record and off-the-record information, and how should a journalist handle each? ___________________________
Explain the inverted pyramid structure and its significance in news writing. ___________________________
Describe the difference between a news article and a feature article. ___________________________
Why is it important for journalists to avoid biased or opinionated language in news articles? ___________________________
Name two key elements of a news story and explain why they are important. ___________________________

Good luck!

Question Answer
What is the purpose of journalistic writing? The purpose of journalistic writing is to inform, educate, and entertain readers by providing them with accurate and unbiased news and information.
What are the elements of a good news story? The elements of a good news story include a headline, lead, body, and conclusion.
What is the inverted pyramid style of writing? The inverted pyramid style of writing is a method of writing news stories in which the most important information is placed at the beginning of the story and the least important information is placed at the end.
What is the difference between news and opinion? The difference between news and opinion is that news is objective and factual, while opinion is subjective and biased.
What is the importance of accuracy in journalistic writing? The importance of accuracy in journalistic writing is that it ensures that readers are provided with accurate and reliable information.
What is the role of research in journalistic writing? The role of research in journalistic writing is to ensure that the facts and information presented in a news story are accurate and reliable.
What is the importance of objectivity in journalistic writing? The importance of objectivity in journalistic writing is that it ensures that readers are presented with unbiased and impartial information.
What is the importance of clarity in journalistic writing? The importance of clarity in journalistic writing is that it ensures that readers can easily understand the information presented in the story.
What is the importance of conciseness in journalistic writing? The importance of conciseness in journalistic writing is that it ensures that readers can quickly and easily get the information they need without having to read through long and complicated sentences.
Questions Answers
What is the main purpose of journalistic writing? To inform and educate the public on current events.
What is the most important aspect of journalistic writing? Accuracy and objectivity.
What is the difference between a news story and a feature story? A news story is a factual account of a current event, while a feature story is a more in-depth look at a particular topic.
What is a lead? The lead is the opening paragraph of a news story and is meant to capture the reader’s attention and provide an overview of the story.
What is the inverted pyramid style of writing? The inverted pyramid style is a method of storytelling where the most important information is placed at the beginning of the story and the less important information is placed at the end.
What is a nut graph? A nut graph is a paragraph in a news story that contains the key facts and information.
What is a sidebar? A sidebar is a short article that accompanies a longer story and provides additional information.
What is the purpose of a journalistic interview? The purpose of a journalistic interview is to collect information from a source for a news story.
What is the importance of research in journalistic writing? Research is important in journalistic writing because it allows the writer to verify facts and provide accurate information.
What is the importance of ethical considerations in journalistic writing? Ethical considerations are important in journalistic writing because it ensures that the writer is providing accurate and unbiased information.
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