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Fundamentals of Journalism


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Fundamentals of Journalism

 

by Jeff Chan

12/15/94

 

Here are some basic rules of journalism, in particular for news articles. This is a draft document. Comments are welcome.

 

1.Articles should contain the 5 W's in the first sentence or first paragraph: who, what, when, where, why. Articles should also

describe "how." These should be expanded on in the body of the article.

2.Your lead paragraph should be able to stand on its' own and it should contain enough information to summarize the story.

Someone reading the lead paragraph should be able to decide if the story is of interest to them.

3.The most important information should appear earliest in the article. To restate this very important point: the least important

information should appear towards the end of the article.

4.Never editorialize; don't comment on the news. That belongs on the editorial page, not in a news article. Report the facts

dispassionately; don't make the news.

5.Never anthropomorphize; that is, never assign human characteristics to non-people or inanimate objects.

6.Always check your facts. Go directly to primary sources whenever possible. Use a range of sources so that several

viewpoints are balanced against each other.

7.Always credit your sources, especially when not using primary sources.

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