newsroom

Newspaper roles
Editorial

Editor responsible for overall content of the paper, makes

sure everything runs to plan and has the final say on
what appears in the paper.

News editor a senior journalist, in charge of a team of journalists

and a section of the paper, who decides what stories
should be covered. News editors look at the stories
coming in and decide which ones to follow up.

Reporter obtains information and writes stories. May cover all

types of stories or may be a specialist who is
concerned with a specific area of the news, such as
sport or crime.

Photographer takes pictures needed for each edition. Usually

managed by a chief photographer and report to the
picture editor.

Layout sub editor designs pages (deciding how best to present stories,
photographs, etc), sends the stories and headlines to
the copy subs, then outputs the completed pages to
the print sites.

Copy sub editor edits stories for style and sense, cuts them to fit the
page, and writes the headlines and captions.

Revise sub editor checks and improves the work of the copy subs.

Picture editor commissions freelance and staff photographers and

selects the best pictures for stories.

Features editor responsible for articles that take a more in-depth look
at issues.

Designer designs layouts that are attractive and accessible to

the reader while maintaining the look and identity of
the newspaper.

Graphic artist produces informative graphics, charts, maps and

diagrams to help explain a story visually.

Imaging operative scans or digitises prints and slides in preparation for

the printing process.
Commercial

Advertising manager has overall responsibility for all advertising within the
newspaper. There are two main types of adverts:
display adverts - for products, with photographs and
graphics, placed by business and classified adverts –
smaller adverts in columns, covering jobs, courses,
holidays and announcements.

Marketing manager responsible for the marketing and advertising of the

paper to the general public to increase sales.
newsroom
Print manager controls the production of copies of the paper at the
print site.

Distribution manager makes sure that the papers go out to news vendors
and customers.
Newspaper writing

The Five Ws of Journalism

In a news report, the opening paragraph or sentences are the most important in
establishing a summary of the whole story, encouraging the reader to find out
more. In this way they differ from narrative stories, which tend to start by
introducing the setting and characters, developing a chronology of events until
the end, when the outcome is revealed. The opening paragraph of a news report
usually answers the following questions, which are termed the five Ws of
journalism. These are:

 What happened?
 Who is the story about?
 Why did it happen?
 Where did the story happen?
 When did the story take place?

Journalism tends to reverse narrative writing (inverted pyramid). It is top heavy

with information. This is because most readers skim the news and read just two
or three paragraphs unless they are interested. Also, news stories are cut from
the bottom if too long so it is important that the key information is established at
the beginning.

The traditional story Writing a news report

Telling a story
Delayed drop
One type of introduction in journalistic writing that does not follow the five Ws
rule is the delayed drop. In this type of writing the substance of the story is
deliberately kept from the reader to create a feeling of suspense. It can be used
in atmospheric stories in which the effect depends on how the facts are
presented, in human interest stories where a profile of a person is being built up,
or in humorous ones. The delayed drop is used a lot in feature writing.

Feature writing
Features tend to be subjective and reflective articles in newspapers. They
contain material such as comment, in-depth analysis of people and events,
newsroom
opinion, advice or assessment. A lot of feature articles tend to be placed in pre-
selected parts of the paper, such as the analysis and leader pages or in separate
supplements or magazines, such as the Guardian’s G2, themed supplements and
Weekend magazine and the Observer’s Review sections and OM.

Typographical terms

Masthead title piece the newspaper’s title displayed on the front page.

Edition the Guardian normally prints five editions (versions

with some changes and additional late stories)
every night. A system of stars indicates which edition
it is.

Teaser this is an information panel on the front page that tells

the reader about other stories in the paper to tempt
them inside.

Solus advert this is a stand-alone advert in a very prominent and

effective position on the front page, usually in colour.

Index this helps the reader to find items quickly and easily.

Headline a phrase that summarises the main point of the article.

Headlines are in large print and different style in order
to catch the attention of the reader.

Standfirst block of text that introduces the story, normally in a

style different to the body text and headline.

Byline the line above the story, which gives the author’s
name and sometimes their job and location.

Body text text that makes up the main body of an article rather
than headlines, standfirst and captions.

Photograph helps make the page look more interesting, it can add
understanding of a story and/or entice someone to
read the article.

Caption a brief description of a photograph or graphic.

Sidebar this is a panel or box on a page containing graphics or

other information about an article.
It is eye-catching and breaks the story up into different
elements.

Font style and size of type face.

newsroom

Copy written material to be published.

newsroom

Types of stories

Journalists separate stories into types depending on their length or their position
on the page. Some of these are:

Lead story/splash the most important news story of the day. It is

supported by the main headline and sometimes the
main photograph.

Basement story/piece story at the bottom of the page which can often be
quirky or amusing.

Page lead main story on a newspaper page. Usually the longest

story on that page with the biggest headline.

Support usually the second longest story on a page supporting

the main story.

Shorts stories between three and eight paragraphs in length.

Fills stories of no more than one or two paragraphs used to

fill a page.

NIB stands for news in brief. One or two paragraph stories

which only give basic facts. Often arranged in a list
with small headlines.

NAG stands for news at a glance. Short news summaries

giving the main points of a story.

Features subjective and reflective articles. They contain

material such as in-depth analysis of people and
events, opinion, advice or assessment.

Leader main editorial column where the opinion of the

newspaper is expressed on leading/main news stories.

Op ed/facing page faces/opposite the leader page, carries columns and

letters.
newsroom
Careers in journalism
Journalism is a highly rewarding career, one in which you can go to work every
day and not know what challenges may face you. It is highly competitive; there
are many more people who want to be journalists than possibly ever could be.
Under 1,000 people enter journalism each year.

Qualities of a journalist

There are certain qualities which editors look for in a would-be reporter:

 an interest in current affairs

 a lively interest in people, places and events
 an ability to write, to gather facts, sift through them and present them in an
easily comprehensible way
 good spelling, grammar and punctuation
 an appreciation of the part newspapers play in the community and society
 a willingness to accept irregular hours and an ability to work under pressure
to meet deadlines
 determination and persistence

How to get into journalism?

Trainees come into the industry in a variety of ways. Some are recruited directly
by regional or local newspapers and carry out basic training under the terms of a
contract. This is known as direct entry. Most trainees are recruited after
attending vocational education and training courses for post A-level students and
graduates. Such courses are generally held at colleges accredited by the
National Council for the Training of Journalists. Some of these courses are for
graduates only. This route is known as pre-entry. The Scott Trust, owners of the
Guardian Media Group, sponsors six bursary placements for a postgraduate
diploma in newspaper journalism.

Would-be journalists should develop a portfolio of published work (cuttings). A

good way to get cuttings is to do reporting for student newspapers. Some
colleges will only grant places to people on pre-entry courses if they have
already been on a brief work experience placement at a newspaper. It is
important to get some idea of what the job entails by shadowing reporters and
seeing how a paper is put together.

Guardian Newspapers Ltd recruits qualified journalists with at least three years’
relevant experience. Many of our journalists have gained experience in the
regional press prior to joining. Emily Bell (from 1995 - media business editor of
the Observer, from 2000 - editor in chief of Guardian Unlimited) studied Law at
university before moving into journalism.

“My first job was at Big Farm Weekly as a trainee reporter, which sounds as
unglamorous as you can get. But in fact it was great – on a small trade mag
dealing with large business and environmental issues I had a real range of
subjects to tackle. I might spend the morning in a ministerial briefing and the
afternoon up to my knees in manure asking a dairy farmer about BSE.”
newsroom

Useful organisations to contact

National Union of Journalists

The NUJ is the world’s largest journalists’ union with over 30,000 members in England, Scotland,
Wales and Ireland. Their address is:
Headland House
308-312 Gray’s Inn Road
London WC1X 8DP
Tel: 0207 2787916
Fax: 0207 8378143
www.nuj.org.uk

National Council for the Training of Journalists

The National Council for the Training of Journalists was founded in 1951 to administer training for
the UK newspaper industry. The NCTJ offers basic journalism training through its
colleges/universities and by distance learning. Short mid-term courses are also available for
journalists wishing to progress their careers.
Latton Bush Centre
Southern Way, Harlow
Essex CM18 7BL
Tel: 01279 430009
Fax: 01279 438008
Email: [email protected]
www.nctj.com

The Newspaper Society

The Newspaper Society, founded in 1836, is the voice of Britain’s regional press. It represents and
promotes the interests of over 1,300 regional and local, daily and weekly, paid-for and free titles.
Bloomsbury House
74-77 Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DA
Tel: 0207 6367014
Fax: 0207 6315119
www.newspapersoc.org.uk

Scott Trust Bursary

The Scott Trust, owners of the Guardian Media Group, sponsors six bursary placements for a
postgraduate diploma in newspaper journalism (this is a nine-month course, which runs from
September to June and includes work experience; applications close in the February). The
bursaries pay course fees and give a £4,000 grant towards subsistence expenses. Work
placements are decided by the course tutor and most are held with Guardian Media Group’s
regional newspapers, though there is no offer of employment attached to the Bursary. The post-
graduate diploma is offered at both of the following universities and may be contacted for further
information regarding the Scott Trust Bursaries:

Department of Journalism or: Department of Journalism

City University University of Central Lancashire
Northampton Square Lancashire
London EC1V 0HB Preston PR1 2HE
newsroom
The History of the Observer

The Observer is Britain’s oldest Sunday newspaper and was first published on
Sunday December 4 1791. Its founder, WS Bourne, promised that the Observer
would provide “the contemplation of wisdom”.

In 1812 Observer journalist Vincent George Dowling witnessed the murder of prime
minister Spencer Perceval and helped to apprehend the murderer.

William Innell Clement purchased the newspaper in 1814. One of Clement’s

innovations involved the use of wood-cut illustrations. A “special illustrated issue” of
the Observer was produced to celebrate the wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince
Albert on February 10 1840.

“The cost of the lace alone on the Queen’s dress was £1,000. The satin, which was of
a pure white, was manufactured in Spitalfields. The veil, which is made to correspond,
afforded employment to the poor lace-workers for more than six weeks.”

During the American civil war (1861-1865), the Observer supported the North
American cause. Many people disagreed and circulation suffered.

Julius Beer bought the Observer in 1870 and on his death in 1880 ownership of the
newspaper passed to his son, Frederick. His wife, Rachel, bought the Times in 1893
and from 1891 to 1904 she edited both newspapers.

Circulation was less than 5,000 when Alfred Harmsworth - later Lord Northcliffe -
bought the Observer in 1905. In 1908, Northcliffe appointed James Louis Garvin as
editor. By 1909 circulation had increased to 40,000. In 1911, the Astor family
purchased the paper. As editor, Garvin proved to be a man of influence and insight.
In 1919, following the end of the first world war, he wrote a famous editorial against
the Treaty of Versailles:

“The Treaty ... scatters Dragon’s teeth across the soil of Europe. They will spring up as
armed men unless the mischief is eradicated... The root-vice of the whole Treaty is
that it leaves the German race no real hope except in revenge – no matter how long
the revenge may have to be deferred.”

In 1942 David Astor took over as editor and began to modernise the paper. He
replaced the advertisements that had been on the front page since 1791 with news
and photographs.

The Observer criticised the British government’s actions during the Suez crisis in
1956: “We had not realised that our government was capable of such folly and such
crookedness”. Again, many readers did not agree with the Observer’s viewpoint
and circulation suffered.

Between 1977 and 1981, the Observer was owned by Atlantic Richfield, and from
1981 to 1993 by Lonhro. Its owner ‘Tiny’ Rowland, had a bitter battle with the Fayed
brothers for the ownership of Harrods. When the government published a report
criticising Fayed’s conduct, details of the report were printed in a special midweek
Observer.

In 1993 Guardian Media Group bought the Observer from Lonhro. One hundred
members of Parliament signed a petition in support of the Guardian bid — the under-
bidder was the Independent which would have merged it with the Independent on
Sunday.
newsroom
In June 2002 the Newsroom, Guardian and Observer Archive and Visitor Centre, was
opened to protect and promote the histories of the newspapers through educational
programmes, exhibitions and research.

“The Observer is Britain’s oldest Sunday newspaper and it has been making
mischief, poking its nose where it shouldn’t and reporting the best in arts,
culture, politics, sport, business and skulduggery for over two hundred years.
We aim to keep it that way and maintain its position as Britain’s most
exciting Sunday newspaper.”
Roger Alton, editor of the Observer from 1998
newsroom
The History of the Guardian
In 1819, the volunteer Yeoman cavalry charged at a peaceful demonstration in
support of political representation for Manchester. Eleven people were killed
and hundreds injured. The Peterloo massacre, as it became known, was
witnessed by John Edward Taylor, a cotton trader and newspaper reporter. His
reports of the event were openly critical of “official” accounts. Two years later
he founded the Manchester Guardian “in the liberal interest” - the first edition
appeared on May 5, 1821.

At first the Guardian was published weekly at a price of 7d (equal to £1.49 today). In
1855 stamp duty on newspapers was abolished and the Guardian was
produced daily at a price of 2d.

In 1872 Charles Prestwich Scott was appointed editor of the Guardian, a post he
occupied for the following 57 years. His beliefs influenced the development of
the paper. For the 1921 centenary he wrote:

“Comment is free. Facts are sacred... The voice of opponents no less than that of
friends has a right to be heard.”

Through the Guardian, CP Scott championed many issues, some of which were
unpopular. These included the right of women to vote and the creation of a Jewish
homeland — Israel. In 1910 Emmeline Pankhurst, founder of the Women’s Social and
Political Union, wrote to C P Scott seeking his support:

“You perhaps more than any single man outside the Cabinet have the power to
bring this dreadful struggle to an end.”

When John Scott inherited the Guardian in 1936, he realised that the future of the
Guardian would be threatened by inheritance tax on his death and therefore
he transferred the ownership of the Guardian to a trust. To this day, the Scott
Trust ensures the independence of the Guardian and fosters the principles
that CP Scott established.

In 1956, the Guardian, unlike most of the British press, criticised the British
government’s military action during the Suez crisis. Circulation increased by 10%.

In 1959, Manchester was dropped from the masthead to reflect the increasingly
national and international character of the paper. Throughout the 1960s the Guardian
was radically overhauled. A second printing works was opened in London; a financial
crisis was averted; the paper was extended and redesigned; and core advertising
markets were developed. Today, the Guardian carries more recruitment advertising
than all of the other British broadsheets combined.

In 1997, the Guardian was the first British national newspaper to appoint a readers’
editor. Each day in a special column, the readers’ editor corrects and clarifies things
that were wrong or unclear.

The Guardian’s investigation into conservative MP Neil Hamilton won the 1997 Team
Reporting Award at the British Press Awards. The Guardian was named Newspaper of
the Year in 1997, 1998 and 1999.
newsroom
The modern look of today’s Guardian was initiated in 1988 when the newspaper was
split into two sections and a new masthead introduced. The Guardian
Unlimited websites were launched in January 1999 and by March 2001 GU
had become the most popular UK newspaper website.

The Guardian’s writing following the terrorist attacks on America of September 11

2001 was commended by Guardian readers and won awards from the press industry.

"As a New Yorker for the past 30 years, I wanted to thank your many fine reporters
and columnists from the bottom of my broken heart for continuing to provide
exceptional coverage and commentary of the calamity that has befallen us. ... by
verbalising my rage you show me how to contain it in order to preserve my sanity. I
want more, more. "
Letter to the editor, September 2001

The Newsroom, Guardian and Observer Archive and Visitor Centre opened in June 2002. The Centre preserves
and promotes the histories and values of the newspapers through educational programmes, exhibitions and
research.