8. Checklist for Assessment 3

University of Botswana

Department of Media Studies

BMS 332 BEAT REPORTING

HANDOUT 5: CHECKLISTS FOR RESEARCHING AND WRITING

These are two checklists that you can use to assess whether your own work has all the essential elements of a good article

Gathering information and researching article

Have the essential facts been established by:

1. Observation.
2. Interviewing those involved.
3. Getting quotes from people involved in the story (e.g. people who witnessed something that you did not see yourself).
4. Getting the official view from government, etc. where appropriate.
5. Double-checking any figures to be used in the report.
6. Giving both (or more) sides to a situation where there are two or more sides.
7. Checking with people any information you have been given about them by a third party.
8. Checking the names, addresses, titles etc of people interviewed or involved, including those not present.
9. Checking the names of streets, buildings, places etc.
10. Checking any technical matters and terms you don’t understand with appropriate sources / organizations.

Have the facts obtained so far been supplemented (as necessary) by means of:

11. Newspaper files containing reports previously published.
12. Appropriate reference books.
13. Internet sites
14. Further inquiries to press officers, organizations etc.
15. Checks using other sources, of any statements, or denials made to you by press officers.
16. Inquiries with contacts.

Writing

Journalism writing is the presentation to the reader of the fruits of your information gathering put into readable form. The article should:

Ø  Capture the reader’s attention in the first paragraph.

Ø  Encourage the reader to read on.

Once you have written your report check that it has got:

1. A first paragraph that gives clearly the main facts of the story.
2. A first paragraph that is also succinct, easy to read and eye-catching.
3. Sufficient explanation in the next few paragraphs to justify and (if need be) qualify your intro.
4. Facts thereafter in a logical order (in a news story, in the order of importance.)
5. A clear indication in the article of the where, how, when and (if possible) the why of the matter.
6. A clear identity of the people involved.
7. Relevant and properly attributed quotations, where possible, from people involved.
8. A fair representation of what the person (or persons) has said in an interview-based story.
9. Any useful background information that will give the article context.
10. Correct usage of titles, ranks, abbreviations etc.
11. In a news story - a style that is concise, objective and free of your own comment.
12. Writing that is good English, with correct spelling and punctuation.

• Both checklists adapted from Brendan Hennessy and F W Hodgson, Journalism, a Manual of Tasks, Projects and Resources, Focal Press, Oxford, 1995.