UNIT 3 QUALITIES AND

RESPONSIBILITIES OF A
REPORTER
Structure
3.0 Objectives
3.1 Introduction
3.2 General Qualities and Responsibilities of a Reporter
3.3 Essential Qualities of a Reporter
3.3.1 Nose for News
3.3.2 Outgoing Nature
3.3.3 Ability to Establish Contacts and Develop Sources
3.3.4 Ability to be an Unprejudiced Observer
3.3.5 Clarity of Expression
3.3.6 Team Spirit
3.3.7 Ability to Cope with Pressure from Outside a d Withih t k News Organization.
3.4 Responsibilities of a Reporter
3.4.1 Responsibility Towards the News Organization
3.4.2 Responsibility Towards the Sources
3.4.3 Responsibility Towards the Reader and Society
3.5 Dealing with Corporate News
3.6 Reporting Communal Conflicts
3.7 Let Us Sum Up
3.8 ~ u r t h e Reading
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3.9 Check Your Progress: Model Answers

3.0 OBJECTIVES

After reading this unit, you should be able to:

state the qualities needed to be a good reporter;
describe the responsibilities of a reporter;
discuss the contribution of a responsible reporter to the news organization;
analyse the role of a reporter when reporting routine as well as unexpected news
events.

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3.1 INTRODUCTION

News reporting is a distinct category of reporting. It is the area of study in Block- I.

We discussed news values and sources of news in Unit-1, and in Unit 2 we studied the
different types of news reporting. To be more specific, these are obj&tive,
interpretative and investigative news reporting. Now, we must acquaint ourselves with
the qualities and responsibilities of a reporter. This is the topic of our study in Unit 3.

A journalist must possess and uphold certain noble qualities in order to be

professional. Integrity of character, commitment to thetruth and a reasoning power
6 f mind are essential t o any reporter. These qualities also contribute to the credibility
'of the reporting organization. Besides, a journalist has to be truly responsible. This
lrtsponsibility extends to different groups of people at the same time. A journalist is
responsible to the audience as much as to the news organization. Again, a journalist is
always responsible to the source(~)who reveal information. Should the need arise, a
reporter has to submit to a source who may request anonymity. A reporter must also
have a healthy respect for news values. These and other such matters form the toplcs
for discussion in Unit 3.

A journalist must inculcate other positive features besides clear perception. For
instance, one must have specifc skills to elicit information in a question-answer
session. We shall learn some interesting tips on interviewing skills in Unit 4.

3.2 GENERAL QUALITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

OF A REPORTER
It is said that a reporter is both eyes and ears of a news organization. It is not possible
to strictly prescribe qualifications which a good reporter must posses. However,
novice reporters musttrain themselves informally for the job so that they would be
able to discharge their responsibilities with co&dence, courage and competence. In
order to qualify the role of a reporter you must prepare yourself in many ways.

I helps to be well-read, and you can do full justice to your reporting beat. You must
equip yourself adequately with all aspects of your beat. If you are covering the civic
body proceedings, you must be fully knowledgeable about several laws and rules
under which the proceedings are regulated. In addition, you m p t know its various
functions, areas of operations and jurisdiction. You should cultivate wide contacts
with all kinds of sources in your beat, some times even outside your area of activity.
As a reporter, you should be able to find out information; you should have a bent of
mind for research. You should be a perfect talker, you should possess inexhaustible
patiena and the ability to get along with any kind of people in difficult situations. To
be a successful reporter and to accomplish your job compctently, you must be able to
perceive, calculate, predict and plan your action appropriately in anticipation of a
news dent.

The sole aim of good news reporting should be writing with a certain mou t of
responsibility to oneself, to an organization, to society and to humanity at large. You
must use your pen consciously, carefully and should bear full credit (or discredit) for
what you say: "Just as an unclaimed torrent of water submerges the whole
countryside and devastates crops, even so, an uncontrolled pen serves but to destroy."
 Besides, as you must write everyday, you should write to build your own image, as
well as the image of your institution. You have a responsibility towards your city,
state, region, country, even the world at large. Echoing this, the noted editor M.V.
hamath once said : "A newspaper's sense of purpose and integrity, rather than its
circulation, would determine its influence." And it is the reporter who is a builder of a
newspaper's sense of purpose and integrity.

Let it be said here that a reporter is neither a social worker nor-a preacher nor a
reformer. Reporters are duty bound to keep a finger on a sore point in society. For it
is only then, that the attention of all those concerned is drawn to the disease that ails
the society. Unless cub reporters are imbued with a total sense of responsibility
towards the profession and the news organization, they will not be able to rise to the
expectations reposed in them by the news organisation and the society.

It is essential for a news reporter to be alertminded and curious. In addition, one

should be in excellent health and should have inexhaustible stamina to chase difficult
assignments. Most:of all, a reporter should be a sociable person.

ck.k Your Progress-1

. Note: i) Write short answers of one'or two sentences for each of the
following questions. "

ii) Compare your answers with the ones given at the end of this unit.
I) As an aspiring journalist, what qualities of character would you strive to
develop in yourself?

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2) L i t any three general qualities of a professional reporter, quite apart from
the technical qualifications. ..,

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3) In general, a reporter is expected to be responsible to different groups of

people. Identify the groups.
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j4) Assume that you are already a reporter in a city news-room. Just as your
shift ends, you are asked to report a news flash in detail. Would you take up
i the assignant yourself or pass it on to a colleague on the next shift?
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ESSENTIAL QUALITIES OF A REPORTER
It is true that one must posses the right attitude toward the vocation. This would
include intelligence, initiative, industry, general competence, objectivity and accuracy.
There are several other features of one's personality and character which can
contribute befittingly to one's profession as a journalist. In this section, we shall
elaborate the salient qualities.

3.3.1 A Nose for News

The reporter is the most important functionary of a newspaper, as far as news
operations are concerned. So one must know what constitutes news in order to be
able to gather news.

A reporter's job of discovering the news has been simplified in one way and rendered
difficult in another sense, in this age of information. While there are the usual press
notes on which news reports can be based, there are other sources of information on a
variety of news event. The range of sources stretches from official spokespersons and
press conferences to unidentified members of the public and the regular sources which
one meets on the beat.

But quite often, most of the material before a news reporter may just be publicity
matter or advertisements in disguise. Therefore, as a reporter, you must check the

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material and squeeze the news that would interest your reader. hen you are
overwhelmed by an ocean of facts, you can always rely on th$r aders' interest for
guidance. Here is where your ability to select the right information and present it to
the reader comes to your help. Besides, most of the time you will cover routine
matters such as press conferences and press notes that are haidly exciting. At least
you may have to begin at quite a low level like covering local matter. Lateryou may
be given the opportunity to cover major national issues.

Forthe most part you may find yourself reporting the speeches, declarations and
announcements by V.I.P.s, persons in authority, politicians and political parties.
Occasionally, you may get an exciting newsbreak. But your routine reporting should
not prevent you from looking for something unusual that may lurk under the
ordinary occurrence. You have to be a keen observer so as to discover unusual and
exciting material even in routine stuff. A sharp sense of observation may also help
you to gather amusing sidelights of interest to your readers. Your alertness will help,
you to discover contradictions and problems while you are on your daily beat. This
can be the basis for an exciting news story even where apparently there was none.

3.3.2 Outgoing Nafure

Professional journalists are never armchair writers. Introverts normally make poor
reporters. Reporters have to move about meeting people, making their acquaintance
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and winning their confidence. This would help them to establish contacts, which in
turn helps in writing well-investigated repoits. This is the era of investigative reporting
and readers are keenly interested to know what is going on behind the scenes. To get
that kind of stories, you have no alternative but to be outgoing. You have to develop
an affable temperament and an easy-going nature.

3.3.3 Ability to Establish Contacts and Develop sources

An outgoing nature is the basic quality to establish contact and develop sources.
During the course of your duty, you may meet several people who may help you in 1
gathering information. You must have the ability to win the confidence and respect of
those who may be potential sources of news. During the course of your regular duties,
people may voluntarily offer you information. Alternately, this might not be the case
when you are working on an investigative story. People may hesitate to talk on1
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sensitive matters. They may like to reveal yet are afraid to in case it were to affect ,
them adversely. Such people may be government officials whom you may meet while
investigating matters ranging from inefficiency to corruption. They could be informers
of the underworld, if you are doing an in depth crime investigation. What may be at
stake for them could be their jobs or their lives. It may be quite difficult to win their
trust. In such situations, you must be able to assure your sources that they will remain '
protected and their identities kept secret if they so desire.
 While you are establishin$ contact, there may be some among them who may want to
plant information on you to serve their vested interests. Such information may consist
of half-truths and even lies. So, you must have other independent contacts through
whom you can verify the information.
Remember, even the most ordinary source at times can become very valuable,
providing important leads and a wealth of information. A couple of years ago a
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newspaper carried a story about a footpath hawker who once was a wrestler of
international repute, thus throwing light on the neglect of the sportsmen in the
country. You must make it a point, therefore, to pay atantion to your sources
howsoever 'ordinary' they may seem by appearance.
Remember, the classic case of the Watergate scandal: The scandal that shook the
United States and the Nixon presidency was not exposed by any ace newsperson, but
by ordinary local reporters acting on a tip from an ordinary source.
What matters is the alertness and ability to pursue your s o u ~ xto
s get thearight lead.
Take the case of the securities scam. The entire expose began wth a source contacting
Ms. Sucheta Dalal of the Times of Indir, Bombay, with an unconfirmed report about
some activities in the State Bank of India. Ms Dalal, Assistant Business Editor of the
paper, followed the lead provided by the source and got the story confirmed from
reliable contacts bringing to light the stock scam concerning stock broker Harshad
Mehta and others involving a staggering Rs. 6,000 crom.

3.3.4 Ability to be an Unprejudiced Observer

The reporter must be an unprejudiced observer of events, one who presents the facts
to the reader in a balanced, objective manner. Now, objectivity is a much debated
topic. It has been said that reporters mix comment with fact and so their reports are
quite subjective. While reporters may have their own views on the subject of coverage,
they should not allow personal opinions at any place in the copy. One must be able to
throw light on unclear aspects if any, of the news event. At the same time, the news
reporter must rndeavour to write a report which is only a statement of facts. An
observation or viewpoint, might occasionally creep in and one must be ale0 to such
strips in straig ~t news items. ,
How do you maintain balance and objectivity in your coverage? The first and
foremost thing to do is to source your copy properly to assure the reader that what
you are passing on as news, is not your opinion or some publicity matter in disguise.
The sources must be qdoted except when they want to remain anonymous. Even when
you are not able to quote the sources, you must ensure that the story is balanced, by
giving adequate coverage to all the sides of the subject. You should always ensure that
the information you are presenting is true. You can do this by counter checking.
Remember, what may appear fair to one group will amount to bias for another. So,
Always ensure that you give both sides of the picture.
But, remaining an unprkjudicd observer does not mean adopting what is ksown in
American journalistic parlance as "man from the Marswstance, i ~ .seeing
, each event
afresh, unconnected to any previous expectations or future possibilities and passing
them on untouched by interpretation.
In an increaiingly complex world, this would not amount to objectivity or fairness. In
many cases, it would simply mean an irresponsible attitude, a refusal to make the
reader understand the event in its proper context and realise its significance.
Inamanycases, you not only report the events but interpret them for the'reader. ~ u t ,
remember, interpretation does not mean backdoor editorialising. It is not an excuse
for colouring the story. with your personal opinions.
33.5 Clarity of Expression
As a reporter, you may cover several complex and specialised subjects, such as science
.and technology, law and economics. Your command over the language must be such
that you can explain even the most complicated issues in single terms to any general
reader. In addition to specialised subjects such as science and technology, even
government press notes are written in complicated language, burying the news point.
You must be able to simplify it and bring out the news point.
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Activity 1
Read the following news items carefully and examine it in terms of the reporter
being an unprejudiced observer, listing its merits and demerits in that respect.

New Delhi, Aug 6: Incensed by a complaint of insanitation and unhygenic

conditions in a trans Yamuna locality, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi
(MCD) authorities have slapped a challan against the complainant.
Dr.Bodh Raj Batra, a homeopath doctor, had complained about the insanitary
conditions in his locality, Jhilmil colony in East Delhi to the columns of a local
daily on July 13.
After the publication of Dr. Batra's grievance, a team of sweepers led by a
sanitory inspector went to the residence of the complainant and handed him a
challan under Sec. 357 and 397 of the MCD act, accusing him of causing
nuisance and accumulating garbage.
The matter will come up for hearing in the court of a Metropolitan Magistrate in
Patiala House next week.

3.3.6 Team Spirit

Except for routine coverzges which can be handled by one person, many investigative
stories have to be handled by a team. The Bofors investigative stories in the Indian
Express and other papers were based on reports from Geneva and Stockholm, besides
,New Delhi. The securities scam investigations by the Times of India involved, besides
Sucheta Dalal, one more correspondent, R. Srinivasan, who posed as an investor and
went t o the State Bank officers in Bombay to get confirmation about the goings on in
the bank.
If you see investigative stories in the Statesman, you will find that they are always
attributed to "The Statesman Insight Team." You must be able to work as a member
of such a team. Here, you must pool your talents, saurces and contacts into the team
and work under a leader. In the course of time, you may rise to head such a team.
Working under a team discipline will certainly be of help to you later.
3.3.7 Ability to cope with Pressure from Outside and Within the
News Organhation
With investigative journalism seeking to bring out scandals and exposures, there is
bound to be pressure on journalists to keep someone's wrong doings hidden from
public view. This 'someone' is usually a person with considerable clout. The 'pressure'
on journalists is exerted in the hope of preventing exposure. The concerned journalist
may also be bribed with attractive favours in return for silence on the matter.

As a newsperson you may provide helpful or harmful exposure to persons holding

important positions in your beat. Since many of them need publicity to perform their
functions, they seek you out to provide them with the required exposure. They are on
the lookout for a minimum of harmful and the maximum of helpful publicity. If they
consider it necessary, they may use their power and influence to pressurise you for
this.

The pressure could be used to make you change the news or "killwa story. This
constitutes censoiship. Pressure could also be applied with the hope of inducing
journalists to volunteer the change or omission which is then equal to selfcensorship.

While groups like the government and the advertisers could indirectly pressurise you
through your news organisation, direct pressure could also come from the government
and political parties. In case you are doing stories on something which could lead to
harmful exposure for someone, they could take recourse to a range of legal and illegal
options, including legal action, threats and violence to presarise you.
 There u e three ways of coping with pressure: fighting it, giving in, and anticipating
the p.ressure and taking preventive measures. The first one is the most noble of the
three options and history is full of shining examples of this category. During the
British rule in India, many papers decided to close down, rather than submit to
censorship and government pressure. The father of the Nation, Mahatama Gandhi,
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exemplified this spirit wlfen he wrote during the Quit India Movement: "It is better
not to issue newspaper than to issue them under a feeling of suppression." Even
during the 1975-77 internal emergency, journals like M.iasfrerm closed down rather
than submit to government censorship. But the heroic option is not always feasible.

Remember, ninhing a newspaper is a business, apart from being a service. Thousands

depend on it for a living. You m in it as a professional, seeking to earn your daily
bread. So few expect you to be a hero or a .missionary. If you give in to pressure
which you cannot fight on your own and if your news organisation does not back
, you, the consequences could be disastrous for you as a professional journalist. The
' reporters who generally brave powerful pressures arc those who have the full support
of their organisations or their professional colleagues backing them unitedly. But,
still, you must have the strength of character to fight pressures that come in the form
of inducements like lavish gifts, favours, etc. to influence your reporting.

Preventive measures to fight pressure could be legal steps, like seeking a court stay on
any law or ordinance that could affect the freedom of the press. In case you feel
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threatened by some physical violence, you can always seek security from law and
t order authorities. The journalists of the "Punjab Kesari* group of newspapers, who
have taken a courageous antiterrorist stand in Punjab, work under extremely tight
security. The group has lost two of its owners to terrorist bullets, but has not given
in to pressures.

Activity 2
In the following news item look for faults regarding clarity and failure to
properly background the story :

New Delhl, Aag 6: A high level delegation of Union Ministers, Chief Ministers
and State Imgation Ministers have complained to the Prime Minister, Mr. P.V.
Narasimha Rao, that the Morse report has overstepped its term of referenceand
commented on several issues beyond its jurisdiction a n rehabilitation of tribals
of the Sardar Sarovar Project.
The delegation headed by the Union Water Resources Minister, Mr. Vidya
Charan Shukla, ap~raisedMr. Rao of the transgression of its limit by the Morse
committee deputed by the World Bank.
Stating this, the Rajasthan Chief Minister, Mr. Bhairon Singh Shekhwat, told
newsmen here today that the Prime Minister assured the delegation to look into
the matter within a week's time.
The delegation comprised of, besides Mr. Shukla, the Union Minister of State
for Forest and Environment, Mr. Kamalnath, the Rajathan, Madhya Pradcsh
and Gujarat-Chief Miuistem, Mr. Shekhawat, Mr. Sundet Lal Patwa and
Mr.Chiman Bhai Patel, and the Irrigation Ministers of Rajasthan and
Maharashtra ...pa
Check Your Progress 2
Note: i) Answer the following questions in about three sentences each.
ii) Compare your answers with the ones given at the end of this unit.
1) What is meant by the phrase 'a nose for news'?

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 I 2) State any three qualities which you consider essential for a journalist.
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3) As a news reporter, you would be required to go to the place where the

event is occuring. Suppose that in the instant you are assigned work, you
have to attend some pressing personal work. Which item of work would you
decide to tackle first?

3.4 RESPONSIBILITIES OF A REPORTER 0

The reporting profession is unlike any other profession. At times, some slight
carelessness in doing one's duty, can cause incalculable harmful repercussions, both
for the news organisation and society. A slight laziness in checking or cross checking
certain facts could endanger the credibility of the news organization, proving to be a
major block in the way of advancement of the reporters career. I

3.4.1 Responsibility Towards the News Organisation

A reporter has been likened to a soldier on the field. Even zs the quality of the
soldiers on field determines to a large extent the quality of an army, so +so your
abilities and the way you discharge your duties as a reporter go a long way in
determining the quality and reputation of your news organisation.

you have to follow the character, style and policy of your newspaper or
agency. There are conservative papers which may prefer to stick to
not bothering about investigation of scandals. In such papers, you
policy even if it cramps your style. But in a news organization
' with a more dynamic approach to news, you must develop the skills of an
investigator. Whatever you do as a reporter will affect the newspaper and its
reputation. So, you must take pains to ensure accuracy and objectivity in your stories.
 3.4.2 Responsibility Towards the Sources
Remember, your sources are sacred. Your credibility in their eyes could be a major
factor in your performance as a qewsperson. There are sources with whom you will
have to take great pains to establish your credibility to make them open up towards
yov You will have to assure them that no harm will come to them, and if they so
L desire, you must keep their identity a secret. There have been instances in fhe United
States of America and some other countries where reporters have defied court orders
and gone to jail rather than reveal the sources. In 1960, an American magazine
--goorteralertedhis editors that the ruler of a Middle East country was receiving large
a~,,duntsof'money from several governments for his personal use. But the reporter
held back the story till 1977 as he felt that its publication would compromise his
source. The matter became news only when the American Intelligence Agency (CIA)
I files, made available t o the press in 1977, contained the same information.

You may well ask whether the responsibility of protecting the sources is absolute. A
situation could arise when the information given by a contact who wanted to remain
unidentified could lead to a major inquiry of a court case. You may be ordered by the
court to reveal who your contact is, for giving witness before the court. What would
you do in such a case? Should you commit contempt of court or violate your
commitment to the confidentiality of your source? If you reveal the source who
wanted to remain anonymous, you could ~ b s eyour credibility among your contacts
who may hesitate to volunteer information in future. Such extreme cases have to be
dealt with, on their individual merits. It is sufficient to say that under normal
conditions, you have a commitment to protect your sources.

3.4.3 Responsibility Towards the Reader and Society

"Good faith with the reader is the foundation of all good journalism worthy of the
6 name", says the code of ethics of the American Society of Newspaper Editors. As a
news reporter, you have a duty to provide accurate, unbiased and objective
information to the reader. Every effort must be made to ensure that the news is
? accurate, free from prejudices and that all sides of the news event are presented fairly.

To maintain your credibility with thc reader you have a duty not to accept t! ;rigs or
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favours or pursue ally activity that might compromise your integrity.

However, in these days, publicity seekers including tho& in private business, organise
press conferences and conduct tours with attractive gifts and other incentives. While
private firms depend mainly on advertsing for publicity, they sometimes want their
activities to be carried as news items since news carries greater credibility than
advertisements. News reports are written by newspersons who are supposed to be
independent and objective. While in these days of corporate and business journalism,
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it will be impossible t o turn a blind eye to the activities of business houses, you must
ensure that you are not exploited by them for selfish ends.

I c h r k Your hops. 3 I
Note: i) Answer the following questions in two sentences each.
ii) Compare your answers with the ones given at the end of this unit.

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1) Describc the kind of work you would be performing as a responsible
reporter.

2) Suppose you receive a telephonic message from an unidentified caller about

a fire mishap in a multi-story building complex. Whom would you approach
t o confirm this message?

3) If you were in possession of vital information about, say, the security of the
country, would you be willing t o get this information published?

DEALING WITH CORPORATE NEWS

Business and corporate jouranlism is a field where you have to exercise a tremendous
sense of responsibility. With the proliferation of big companies.including multi
nationals and their role in the liberalisation of the Indian economy, their activities
form a major subject of public interest. But, it is a subject that must be handled with
utmost care. On the one hand, you risk becoming a publicity agent for corporate
houses and on the other. you may be risking people's investments and reputations.
Remember, anything you write for a news organization could have its impact in terms
of money and reputation.

Opinions about the newspaper industry have ranged from it being a mere business to
an instrument of social change. Even if it is to be considered a mere business, it is
deeply involved in matters of public interest. Every thing you write could have its
repercussions in the society. Even under normal circumstances, you have t o exercise
great care about what you write.

Check Your Progrcs 4

Note: i) Answer the following questions in two sentences each.
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5) Compare your answers with the ones given at the end of this unit.

I 1) Why must Corporate News be reported with the maximum sense of

responsibility?
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2) A source in a business house requests anonymity before giving you the
inside information on irregularities in that office. Eventually, a case is made
for the courts based on your news story. Would you then sequed on the
identity of your informer to protect yourself!

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3.6 REPORTING COMMUNAL CONFLICTS

You have to be particularly careful when reporting in a communally sensitive country

like India. This is because there are a host of religious and social diversities and
several linguistic groups. It would be unbecoming to be partison to a particular faith,
linguistic or social group. As a reporter you will have to wield your pen with due
respect for everyone.

What may be considered correct by one group may be held wrong by another. Take
the example of the Ramjanambhoomi Babri Masjid dispute at Ayodhya. Two
concerned communities have a conflicting stand about the disputed structure. If you
have been following the controversy in the papers, you would have found that the
disputed structure is referred to neither & Ramjanambhoomi nor as Babri Masjid. It
is referred either as the "Disputed site" or as the "controversial structure", or simply
as the "Ramjanarnbhoomi-Babri Masjid site*.

Apart from the Ayodhya dispute, the communal tension in the country has been
aggravated by the Punjab and Kashrnir problems. News organisations are extremely
careful about reporting events of a communal nature.

Take the killings in Punjab, for instance. When.mmbers of a particular,community

are singled out for massacre, the papers do not iinention the name of thecommunity.

A similar procedure is followed when reporting communal riots. The step is taken to
prevent any further tension from developing between the communities if they are to
be indentifled in the news reports. For this reason, places of worship affected in riots
are not referred to, by name.
Check Your Progress 5
Note: i) Answer the following question in three sentences.
ii) Compare your answer with the one given at the end of this unit.
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1) How would you, as a responsible reporter, seek to restore peace in times of
communal tension ?
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3.7 LET US SUM UP

You are now in a position to state the qualities that you have to develop to pelform
well as a reporter and the responsibilities that you will have to shoulder on joining the
profession. The profession of a reporter, as you must be aware by now, carries a
tremendous social responsibility. Even if you do not have a great talent for writing,
you must have adequate command of language to express yourself clearly. You must
also take great care about the accuracy of your stories.

Gerierally, to be a successful news reporter, one must possess the following basic
traits :
never -failing news sense
vital interest in current affairs
curiosity of a child-like inquistive mind
appreciation of social and geographical characteristics of the people in the area
which the newspaper serves
non-partisan attitude
adequate sense of fairness, balance, objectivity
adequate knowledge of libel laws and other regulations
faculty to envision developments, calculate, perceive, forecast
attribution of sources
protection of sources
avoidance of freaks and tricks
ethical consideration and respect for "off the record statements".
never compromising for consideration, money, gifts, and the like.

3.8 FURTHER READING

Rao, Chalapati M., The Romance of the Newspaper, National Council of

Educational Research and Training, New Delhi.
Rao, Chalapati M., The Press, National Book Trust, New Ddhi.

3.9 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS: MODEL ANSWERS

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Check Your Progress 1
1) Resourcefulness, determination, selfdiscipline and a general competence to
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perform assigned tasks. These are just some of the positive features in the
personality of a would-be journalist.

2) An eagerness to learn, a capacity for concentration and sustained efforts are

qualities expected in any professional reporter.
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3) A report has to be responsible to the news organization, the audience (here
the newspaper readers), other members of the society, the region, the nation I
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 and the world community at large. Most of all, tho reporter is responsible to.
the sources who give the information in the first inltance.
4) A reporter must be full of enthusiasm for the work. This dedication should
be such that any time is convenient to carry out the task. After all, news
does notbreak at an hour suitable for us.

1) A reporter who has a nose for news is one who aptly senses material for
news. The reporter then ensures that the news story is timely, contaihing
emotional or entertainment appeal for the audience1readers.
2) A journalist ought to have a well-tlained news sense, good command over
the language and a deep understanding of the laws governing the press.
3) Your decision, in fact, reflects your attitude to your professional duties.
Ideally, you would exhibit a highly developed sense of initiative and accept
irregular hours of work. One would have to be flexible, sometimes even at,
the cost of one's personal work.

Check Your Progress 3

1) A reporter has to be a stickler for facts. Therefore, ane must either collect
the facts from the place of event (whether accident, press conference,
celebration, any other incident) by personal observation, or collect
information through interviews and investigation. Then, the reporter must
write the report in clear words and submit it to the editorial department of
the news organization.
2) In one's routine through crosschecking of unconfirmed reports, a reporter
would contact a person in authol:?~.A %ren would have to be confirmed
from the police station fire brigade of that area.
3) One would first have to consider whether or not the information would help
the general public in any way. Then, the state secret would be best kept out
of the public view lest it reach the wrong persons. The information should
not be published if it is to the disadvantage of the country's stability and
security.

Check Your Progess 4

1) A responsible reporter has to be aware of publicity gimmicks parading as
news-worthy events. Besides, the reporter has to note that where public
financial investment is involved, one must doubly ensure accuracy in' the
news.
2) A reporter must stand by one's word of honour. One may have to suffer the
indignity of the courts structures. For all that, you would be safeguarding
your own reputation while protecting your informer.

Check Your Progrcss 5

1) As a responsible reporter conscious of the urgent necessity of restoring
peace, you ought to be discreet in using phrases in your reports, for
instance, you would write "places of worship" and not refer to the place by
its name. You would also counter the threat of religihextremism in your
writing by quoting some logical comments of some same persons in society.