Journalism Honor

Vocational Activities

Requirements

  1. Discuss the following statements with your instructor and report in writing the conclusions you reach:
    • "Journalism is the oxygen of Democracy" José Marques de Melo, professor of Journalism at the Methodist University of São Paulo.
    • "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter." Thomas Jefferson, U.S. president.
    • "Without the full force of freedom of expression, democracy is a fiction" Carlos Pérez Giménez, Argentine journalist.
  2. What education is useful for someone who wishes to pursue a career in journalism?

    Answer: A university degree in Journalism (Social Communication) is useful, teaching techniques of fact-finding, writing, ethics and media. Also helpful: good writing and reading, broad general knowledge, languages, courses in photography, audiovisual and digital media, and plenty of practice writing. — The foundation is the Journalism degree, but reading a lot, writing well and knowing the world are equally essential.

  3. What types of jobs are available for those interested in journalism?

    Answer: Reporter, writer, editor, presenter (TV/radio), announcer, columnist, photojournalist, cameraperson, content producer, press officer, digital/web journalist and proofreader. One can work in newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, websites, blogs and social networks. — Journalism opens many doors — from reporting to press relations and digital content.

  4. Read the story of II Samuel 18:9-32. Discuss with your instructor the characteristics of the 2 ways of delivering news presented in this story. What is the importance of words, ethics and faithfulness to the facts?
  5. What is media and what are the main means of communication used in journalism today? Name the main differences between them.

    Answer: Media is the set of means of communication used to transmit information to the public. The main ones in journalism: the printed newspaper (text and photo, in-depth, but less immediate); radio (audio, fast and far-reaching); television (image and sound, strong impact); and the internet/digital (websites, portals and social networks — immediate, interactive and multimedia). They differ in language, speed and form of consumption. — Each medium has its language and its rhythm: print goes deep, radio and TV reach far, and digital is immediate and interactive.

  6. Describe the basic meaning of these expressions used by journalists:
    • Story brief (assignment)
    • Newsroom (copy)
    • Standard manuscript page (lauda)
    • Source
    • News brief (note)
    • Lead
    • Subheading
    • Photo caption
    • Article
    • Feature report
    • Editorial
    • Column
    • Headline rundown (escalada)
    • Scoop

    Answer: 1) Pauta (assignment list): a list or outline of the subjects that will be covered and investigated by the journalists. 2) Newsroom: the department (and team) where journalists produce, edit and finalize the news. 3) Lauda (standard page): a unit of measure for journalistic text, equivalent to a standard page of a defined size. 4) Source: a person, document or institution that provides the information used in the news. 5) Note (brief): a short news item, with few lines, that brings a quick piece of information. 6) Lead: the first paragraph of the news story, which summarizes the essentials by answering the main questions (what, who, when, where). 7) Subhead: a small title placed in the middle of the text to divide it and make reading easier. 8) Photo caption: a photograph accompanied by a short text that explains it, which can stand as news in itself. 9) Article: an opinion text, signed, in which the author sets out their ideas about a subject. 10) Reportage: a broader, investigated and researched piece, with more details, sources and context. 11) Editorial: a text that expresses the official opinion of the communication outlet (it is not signed by an individual author). 12) Column: a fixed space signed by a columnist, who covers a topic regularly. 13) Headlines rundown: a summary of the main news presented at the start of the TV news program (the headlines announced at the opening). 14) Scoop: an exclusive news story, given by an outlet ahead of its competitors. — Knowing the newsroom jargon is the first step to understanding and working in journalism.

  7. Describe the elements of a good opening paragraph and the usefulness and importance of the headlines or teasers of a news story.

    Answer: A good opening paragraph (lead) should answer the essential questions right away (what, who, when, where, how and why), in a clear, objective and attractive way, gripping the reader from the first line. The headlines (teasers) are important because they summarize and announce the news, sparking interest and getting the reader to continue — they are the 'calling card' of the piece. — The lead delivers the essentials right up front, and the headline hooks the reader — together, they decide whether the news will be read.

  8. What are the essential steps for writing a good story?

    Answer: Steps: (1) choose the topic/assignment; (2) investigate — research and hear the sources; (3) check and confirm the facts; (4) organize the information (from most important to least important — the 'inverted pyramid'); (5) write clearly, starting with a good lead; (6) revise (spelling, facts and ethics); and (7) edit and finalize with a title and caption. — Investigate, check and write clearly, from the most important to the least — that is the path to a good piece.

  9. Write a story about one of the following subjects:
    • Your family. How did your family come to accept Christ? Were you the first, your parents, or your grandparents? Etc.
    • Experiences with God. Personal experiences of answered prayers or moments when you saw the hand of God guiding your steps and decisions up close.
    • Pets. Tell an interesting story that happened with a pet you have had/have.
    • Camps. Some unforgettable experience you had at a camp.
    • Conversion. Tell about when God became real to you as a friend and personal Savior.
    • Being a Christian. Write about what you find most difficult for a Christian today.

    Answer: Writing your own story trains narrative skills and is also a testimony — it joins technique and faith.

  10. Answer the following:
    • What are the basic elements for writing a news story?
    • Establish the relationship between a good news story and the initial set of questions for writing it: What? How? When? Where? Why? Who?

    Answer: 1) The basic elements for writing a news story are the answers to six fundamental questions: WHAT happened, WHO was involved, WHEN it occurred, WHERE it occurred, HOW it happened and WHY. These elements form the set of essential information that every news story needs to contain. 2) The relationship between a good news story and the initial set of questions (what? how? when? where? why? who?) is direct: this set, known as the 5W+H (or lead), works as a guide for investigating and organizing the text. When the journalist answers all of these questions right at the start of the story, they ensure it is complete, clear and objective, allowing the reader to understand the fact in full quickly; therefore, a good news story is precisely one that answers this set of questions well. — Answering what, who, when, where, how and why ensures a complete news story that is easy to understand.

  11. Write to an editor at any outlet, requesting some tips for writing a good news story. Turn these tips into a presentation for the colleagues in your unit or club.

    Answer: Learning from someone in the field and passing it on to your colleagues multiplies the knowledge.

  12. Write a news story with at least 3 paragraphs, using a good opening paragraph, about something interesting that happened in your church, school, at home or in the Pathfinder Club.

    Answer: Putting theory into practice by writing a real news story fixes everything you have learned.

  13. Publish a news story in a communication outlet, printed, electronic or digital. It can be on a blog, your club's or church's page, a neighborhood newspaper or a magazine. They can be secular outlets or those of the Adventist Church.
  14. Know how to write a cover letter to the editor to whom you will send your news story. It can also be a story or an article. Write this letter and send it together with your text.

    Answer: A cover letter to the editor should contain: 1) A greeting/heading addressed to the editor (name or position); 2) A brief personal introduction (who you are, that you are part of the Pathfinder Club); 3) The reason for contacting them and what you are sending (a news story, story or article, with the title/topic); 4) Why the material is interesting and suitable for that outlet/audience; 5) Availability for revisions or additional information; 6) Thanks and a cordial farewell, with your contact details (name, phone/email). The language should be clear, polite and objective. Then, write this letter and send it together with your text. — The cover letter is the first contact with the editor — clear and cordial, it opens doors for your text.

  15. Schedule a visit to one of the communication outlets in your city: a newspaper, a magazine publisher, a radio station, a TV broadcaster or relay station, etc. Get to know how the journalism newsroom of this outlet operates. What is the day-to-day work of a journalist there like?

    Answer: Seeing the newsroom from the inside shows, in practice, how a news story is born and reaches the public.