News Coverage

THEORIES AND TECHNIQUES

Top Journalists:

• ·         Senator Blas Ople – only a high school graduate but become country’s foreign affairs secretary
• ·         Senator Francisco Kit Tatad – dropped out from college at the UST but became a top – natch correspondent of Agence France Presse before being tapped by the late President Ferdinand Marcos as his information minister and spokesman.

Some of America’s Famous investigative journalists that had no formal training in journalism:

• ·         Lincoln Steffens
•            Jacob Riis
• ·         Ida Tarbell
• ·         Paul Y. Anderson

COVERING THE POLICE

·         The police beat is the training ground of most journalists.

·         It is in the police beat that a new journalism graduate will have his first taste of covering an actual event, interviewing an actual person or writing from actual documents like the police records.

·         Normally, the police story is stereotyped.

TIPS FOR NEOPHYTES POLICE REPORTER

·         Gather as much information or facts about the story that you are writing.

• ·         Don’t be afraid to ask questions if there is that you don’t understand.
• ·         Don’t rely solely on the police report or blotter.
• ·         In reporting a fire, you should be on the fire scene, whenever possible, so that you can have a firsthand account.
• ·         In reporting a road accident, you should also, as much as possible, be on the scene of the accident so that you can assess for yourself the damage to the car or the casualties.
• ·         During a pre-announced raid of gambling or a shabu laboratory, join the raiding team if it is allowed.
• ·         Don’t become to close or buddy-buddy with police officers.
• ·         Don’t ever take bribes of hush money from whatever sources, especially from police officers.

DO’S AND DON’TS IN CRIME REPORTING

• ·         Complaints filed with the police department or recorded in the police blotter are uncorroborated statements.
• ·         Avoid making your own conclusion as to the guilt or innocence of the suspect.
• ·         Never sensationalize or editorialize a report about any crime misdemeanor.
• ·         Never report lurid details of a crime, especially about rape or other sexual offenses.
• ·         In crimes against chastity, never mention the name of the complainant, especially if she is a minor.

COVERING THE COURTS

Covering the courts, particularly writing from court decisions is more complex than covering the police beat.

Rules in writing about court stories:

• ·         Translate legalese, or local terms, into layman’s language.
• ·         Don’t deviate from the decision of the court.
• ·         Never comment on the guilt of the accused or lack of merit of the complaint.
• ·         Remember to balance your reporting.
• ·         Comment on the fairness or unfairness of any decision after it is promulgated by the court or after the decision is final and executory.