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The newspaper printing is a rather unusual activity since
each day the newspaper material is prepared anew. Newspaper
includes editorial board work the following functions: getting
the right news, writing it in the form of an article, selection
of the best items for the print, and displaying the selected
copy in the paper.
All these tasks are performed by journalists, editors and
rewrite men, photographers and make-up editors responsible
for the issue of the paper.
Thus, the newspaper reporting starts with collecting
information for the paper. However, journalism does not stop
here. Newspapers and magazines publish a great deal of stories,
not only news items or political stories, for example, stories of
humorous or some other type. Such essay-type articles may
be called human interest stories. Besides, newspapers carry
many items on sports, personalities of today as well as stories
on science, art and technology. Rather popular are also the
reports about the flights of astronauts and space research
matters in general.
Human interest stories are often written in the form of an
interview, or as some journalists say, a "profile" is given. It ino
secret that different newspaper publications differently
influence the reader, this depending on the level of the skill of
the journalist himself or the type of the topic being covered.
One can often hear some reporters who have just started
their career in journalism asking this question: how to conduct
an interview? There are hardly any rules to that effect because
each interviewee is different. In most instances, the journalist's
problem is how to get the interviewee to start talking. The
opening questions, therefore, are of special importance. The
reporter should not ask questions that call for only yes-or-no
response. Another problem is how to keep on talking. Some
interviewers take copious notes, others trust their memory
and take notes only about the exact names, places, figures, and
the like.
The above-mentioned profile-type stories may be
characterised as "personality sketches" reading which one
learns much about interesting aspects of somebody's life.
Other everyday topics covered by newspapers are stories on
crime, medicine and law. Those organs of press which focus
on entertainment, crime and just gossip are justly called
"commercial". These papers are published primarily for profit.
Usually they have a considerable readership.
Questions:
1. Why is the newspaper printing an unusual activity?
2. What does the newspaper reporting start with?
3. What do newspapers and magazines publish?
4. What articles may be called human interest stories?
5. What reports are rather popular?
6. In what form are human interest stories often written?
7. What are the journalist's problems?
8. What other everyday topics do newspapers cover?
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