Information, Education and Communication: News Papers


News Papers:

Newspaper is a periodical with the service type or news-type of information.

To use this valuable medium of communication effectively, one must consider the kinds of newspapers, the nature and sources of news, and the maintenance of good press re lat ions, as well as the kinds of newspaper copy and how to prepare them.

Advantages:

  1. The reader can choose which articles he wishes to read.
  2. A subject can be explored in more depth.
  3. The newspaper can gone more specialised or technical information.
  4. Inexpensive.
  5. Can be kept and referred back to at a later date.
  6. Source of more accurate and authoritative information.
  7. Can be read in private, circulated among friends or read aloud publicity.
  8. It generally reaches the literate opinion leaders.
  9. Intensive and wide coverage of various items.
  10. Appeal is broad and diverified.
  11. In general a local medium, load, in origin, in coverage and in interest each is tailored to suit local needs.


Limitations:

  1. They can not be read by illiterates without outside help and the group or individual to whom they are meant need not go through the same.
  2. It has a very short life, the time spend amounts to a few minutes, few copies are filed for future reference. The reading is rushed and hurried.
  3. The quality of paper and the speed of printing make the medium less potential.
  4. Difficult to focus for a specific audience.


Kind of news papers:

  1. The large daily: These papers have wide reading audiences, and yet they vary individua1ly. Some serve different reading groups than others. They may serve different educational levels, different economic levels, or different religious preferences. Some papers or some editions may have greater coverage of rural areas. Study your newspapers to see where their special interests are and the kind of material they most like.

  2. The weekly or semi weekly local newspaper: These papers are read rather thoroughly and they often have space. They may have urban rural coverage or both.

  3. Foreign language newspapers: These papers reach special groups. Their messages are favourably received.

  4. Nature of news: News is "the record of action". Something has just happened which.
    1. Is unusual, or
    2. Touches the render because it is
      1. a person he knows,
      2. near at home,
      3. a danger to him or his family,
      4. Something which affects his daily life, or
      5. of interest to his special group.


Source of health news:

Health news comes out of what is done, not out of what is proposed. Think in terms of what the reader would like to know, not merely in terms of what you would like to tell him. Mark your calendar to remind yourseIf of possible stories at particular dates.

Look for possibilities in:

  1. Activities of officials and health personnel.
  2. Special campaigns.
  3. Lectures and meetings.
  4. Exhibits and demonstrations.
  5. Vital statistics.
  6. Health advice stories.
  7. Visitors to the health department (arrange for interviews).
  8. Stories interpreting research findings.
  9. Official orders, appointments, and promotions.
  10. New installations and equipment.
  11. Unusual cases of illness or recovery.
  12. Seasonal or holiday health needs.
  13. Policies and opinions of experts.
  14. Absence of a disease for a long period.
  15. Health aspects of an outstanding topic of the day.
  16. The activity of prominent and interesting people.
  17. Health angles in problems of universal interest-such as food or bringing up children .
  18. Legislation.


Press Relations:

  1. Know something about how a newspaper is run. Your relation with newspaper people will be easier and more pleasant if you know something of t he organization and operation of a newspaper.
  2. Know common newspaper terms.
  3. Establish good relations with the editor.
  4. See that the news you supply is reliable.
  5. Get your copy in early. News release should go in a full day ahead or publication date, when possible. Even in an emergency with very important news, copy should be in an hour before the deadline. Sunday edit ions want their material three to five days in advance.
  6. Turn in clear, legible copy in proper form and properly written.
  7. Distribute your news stories fairly among the different newspapers. Don't give one paper all the breaks.
  8. Dont send in a news release unless you are convinced yourseIf it is news.
  9. Choose the best possible release date.
  10. Know what you have sent in.
  11. Provide copy for reporters sent to cover meetings. It may be a hand out, giving the important facts about the meeting-its purpose, and the important people who are to be there. It may be copies or abstracts of the speeches..
  12. If you have news regularly or consistently, make a fixed arrangement for supplying it to the reporters who cover your area.


Kinds of copy and how to prepare them:

There are various kinds of newspaper copy: news releases, feature stories, editorials, fillers, letters to the editor, regular columns, advertisements, special editions.

  1. The news release:
    To prepare a news release properly:
    a. Submit your copy in good mechanical form.
  2. Type the story double spaced on one side of strong paper with the wide (1 inch or more) margins.
  3. Retype stories from printed publicity kits. You will need to localize the story by inserting local names. But retype anyway. Rewrite the story from a new angle for a second paper. If you supply a mat with the story, be sure it is in good condition. Send a proof and caption with each mat but do not clip them together. Mats are fragile.
  4. Do not suggest a headline.
  5. A newspaper has people who write headlines according to its own style and preferences. Yours won't be merely make you as an amateur.
  6. Begin the body of you story half way down the first page. This leaves room for a headline to be written in and for corrections and notations to the typesetter.
  7. Indicate the city and date if the release goes to papers outside your city.
  8. Put your name, address, the upper right hand corner of the first page.
  9. Number the pages consecutively and put the word MORE at the bottom of the page if there is another page to follow.
  10. If a name or word spelled unusually, underline it to indicate that the spelling is correct.
  11. Use the mark ----x---- to indicate the end of the story.


Prepare good copy:

  1. Be sure that your story is true.
  2. Write a good lead. The first paragraph indicates who, what, where, why. A news story is an inverted short story. The climax is told first. The least important facts are put at the end. In this way later paragraphs can be cut, when space is limited, without losing the substance of the story. It gives the reader the story in a nutshell. If he does not have time to read all of it, he can learn the facts and then read as much detail as he wishes.
  3. Write simple, direct copy: State the facts simply. Avoid technical terms. Dont use unfamiliar words. News paragraphs are usually twenty-five to seventy-five words each and rarely exceed 100 words. Use short, simple, vivid words and sentences. Beware of adjectives and flowery phrases. Dont paid your story. Make it brief. Many short releases are better than an occasional long one.
  4. The Feature Story.
  5. Editorials.