Journalism Vocabulary

An unprotected kind of speech including prurient, offensive, and unserious content as defined by "community standards."

Space in a publication sold to other businesses

The portion of the layout which explains what is happening in a photograph

Leaving one side out of an article, or a series of articles over a period of time

A longer story that goes deeper than just reporting the facts

A style of news that emphasizes sensational crime stories, astrology, gossip about celebrities and sports stars, etc.

suppression/prohibition of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or dangerous.

Person who researches and generally writes stories assigned by editors. Synonymous with journalist.

Large type designed to summarize a story

Who, what, when, where, why, how

When a story has only one interpretation of an event or policy, to the exclusion of the other;

News that blurs the line between information and entertainment, covering the arts, entertainment, and lifestyle topics

Breaking or fast-paced news, usually covering serious topics like politics, business, or crime

Indicates who wrote the story

"Opposite the Editorial" page--this is space given to people outside the news organization to state their opinions

Has overall responsibility for the publication

Stating a theory or conjecture without firm evidence.

A statement made by another person

The most important facts appear early in the story

A standard of conduct based on moral beliefs

The person or organization from whom a journalist gets information

includes libel and slander, occurs when a person publishes a false statement that seriously harms a person's reputation.

The process by which journalists check multiple sources to see if a piece of information is true, false, or uncertain

The physical layout of stories on a newspaper or web page

A statement that can be proven with irrefutable evidence

The beginning of the story--usually the first paragraph

Info that's worth sharing widely because of: timeliness, proximity, conflict/controversy, human interest, and relevance.

The use of exciting or shocking stories or language at the expense of accuracy to provoke public interest or excitement.

An article written by or on behalf of an editor that gives an opinion on a topical issue.

An element of news that includes people or events with which the audience can identify