What is reporting?

Meaning & Definitions

Reporting first hand is the best building block of the news story. The observed event, the individual personally interviewed, the original document examined.......these make for the best stories. –Perry Werner

            Reporting is the art, the skill, the business, the profession of gatheringinformation for immediate use. A reporter tries to weigh events as a whole without making judgments by standard of news values which are in reality relative values. Then, She recognized news values of the particular event, which she intends to cover. After this, the reporter must take instructions from the Chief Reporter, if necessary, before leaving for the field of action. She is ready to interview concerned authorities or witnesses of the events. After verification of the news source and events, the reporter reports the news. Principle of accuracy is very important for a reporter to keep in mind while reporting about a particular event. In print journalism, reporting includes writing news: whereas in broadcast journalism, reporting means live coverage or voice recording.

Collecting and selecting information also are the parts of reporting. Collecting informatjion also are the parts of reporting. Collecting information is the major aspect of reporting. On a standard newspaper, newsgathering (Collection of information) begins at the news desk under the direction of Chief Reporter. The process of gathering news from sometime may involve risk of life. Unexpected news sources are important to generate significant news but your information from there needs careful verification. The proces of selection of news starts in newsroom on scheduled time. Specific desks are responsible for editing specific type of news like political, commercial, sports and so on. This process is supervised by the news editor. But, the actual selection of the news is done by the sub-editors. In Nepal, actually sub-editors are reporters.

Who is Reporter?

A reporter is a type of journalist who researches and presents information in certain types of mass media. Reporters gether their information in a veriety of ways. including tips, press releases, and witnessing an event. They perform research through interviews, public records and other sources. The information-gathering part of the job is sometimes called "Reporting" as distinct from the production part of the job, such as writing articles. They split their time between working in a newsroom and going out to witness events or interview people. Most reporters are assigned an area to focus on, called a "beat". They are encouraged to "cultivate Sources" so they won't miss news.

Reporters usually have a college degree. The degree is often in journalism, but that is not required compulsorily. When hiring reporters, editors give much weight to the reporters, editors give much weight to the reporter's previous work,(Such as newspaper "clips") even when written for a student newspaper or as part of an internship, journalism training or 'nose for news'. Although their work can often make them into minor celebrities, most reporters earn low salaries.

But reporters are not mere news gatheres; often in the act of gathering news, they make it and influence the course of events. They must face up to their responsibilities as a good citizen first, and then only as a good journalist. Whether they like it or not, this is the standad by which the public will continue to judge them, and their work. Reporters must exercise their multiple responsibilities with sincerity and honesty if tey are to continue to exert their rights to give meaning to the news. Competent reporters follow the principles of writing in good from and style.

News Reporting is the dynamo of the news. If it failed, the newspaper would fail. It is an art and the joy of its own. Reporters are always in the midst of real action. they face the finest as well as the Worst situation. They meet with the most powerful leaders or the most famous celebrities. They face up danger and death with courage and dedication. They are ever curious and adventurous The news reports eventually land on the news desk. Here the process of editing  comes into operation, which eventually through a series of steps produces a package of information ready for mass communication. Reporting has become a big business today.

Types of Reporters

A)    Beat Reporters

Beat is a reporter's assigned area of responsibility. A beat may be an institution, such as the court; a geographical area, such as a small town; or a subject, such as conflict. The term also refers to an exclusive story. Beat reporters are assigned to cover a particular beat. They are often full-time journalists . Beat reporting is a good to reporters because it helps them develop their understanding in a particular area of knowledge.

B)    Leg reporter

Leg reporters are "half reporters" because they collect information but do not write. They only have news sense and source of information; but they dont have news writing and persentation knowledge. They just collect information and tell orally to editors (usually subeditors)to re-write. The leg reporters are very important because they work as spy of news information. media hires them for their connection with the news source. Leg reporters are the suppliers of informations.

C)    Stringer

Someone who works part-time for a news organization on an as-neded basis is stringer. Stringers are optional reporters.They do not invest their full time as reporters. They may be engaged in different professions, but they will be suplying information to some assiged news media. Newswriting is often their hobby, so they write to expose their profile, they do not get monthly salary but get some specified amount of  money as the news gets published or broadcast.

D)    Liner

Not a full time reporter, like a stringer liner sends news stories to the papers and gets paid on the basis of the lines of the news stories published in the paper. They often do have some different profession than reporting. They are like stringers but their profession is more vulnerable than of stringers. Nowadays liners, usually converted into stringers, are no more in practice.

E)    Correspondent

Correspondent is a news reporter, based in another area or  country, who gives regular reports on a developing story. Correspondents are full time reporters. They become alter 24 hours to the assigned  news media. Broadsheet dailies, televisions, radios often have many correspondents to different regions or districts. BBC Nd CNN have worldwide correspondents. Correspondents are of different categories, such as political correspodents, war correspondents, human rights correspondents, etc. They are called special correspondents.

F)     Chief Reporter

A freelancer of freelance journalist is a self-employed person working in the profession. She is not attached to any media but sends articles, investigative writing, news, features to get published or broadcast. Unlike stringers, freelance journalists are supposed to be expert in particular subject mattewr. The word 'freelancer' may indicate lawyers, surgical doctors, businesss persons, etc. So, freelance journalist is a better term to use. Orginally "lance' neans an army (mercenary) unattached to any particular lord, and could be hired for a given task.

G)   A freelancer

A freelancer or freelance journalist is a self-employed person working in the profession. She is not attached to any mediaif freelance journalist is a famous person, his write ups are acceptd by any media or demanded frequently. But if she is unknown, she faces difficulties to sell articles. Freelance journalists can be amateurs or professionals, but in nepal, they are regarded as professional and exdpert in some subject matters. the department of information has the provision of providing

TRAITS OF GOOD REPORTER

            The good reporter is able to find at least two good stories during a two –penny bus ride – FJ Mansfield

The reporting process is much like any other investigative process, whether it is conducted by a detective, a nuclear physicist or a historian.Reporter is the most important person in the news-business. News for all media must be collected by som, whom we call reporter reporting is the never-eding task of collecting bits of news and fitting them together into interesting paragraphs for their audiences. The best reporters are bright, persistent, honest, personable, curious and courageous. A successful reporter must have types of qualities. They are: Common & special qualities.

a)      Common Qualities

i) Good education: generally reporters are college graduates; they need journalism as major subject. Otherwise, they have to get some training course on journalism. They must be quick in writing down the facts.

ii) Sound Health : Good health is another common quality for all reporters. Reporters have to wait long sometime to get news; some another time, they don't get time to sleep enough. Or, they don't get regular food items to eat. So, they must be careful to maintain their health.

iii) Stress Management: Stress (Anger) is a big problem today to many people. Reporters go and meet many people of different temperments. So, sometine, they themselves may lose their temper. Due to the temper, they lose their public relation, audience and news source. They should be polite, patient and contingent to handle situation accordingly.

iv) Firm Determination: Reporters should not get rest until they find the news completely. Firm determination is a basic factor for newsmedia always run with first and foremost basis. If you lose a news, not only ou your