News Reporting/Writing

1. Define news and identify newsworthy events.
2. Apply ethical principles in journalistic decision-making.
3. Write clear, concise, and accurate news stories for print and broadcast media.
4. Understand the legal framework governing journalism in Nigeria.
5. Utilize online resources and tools for news gathering and reporting.

13 weeks, about 87 hours in total. Yours will differ.

1. Week 1Module 1: Role of the Journalist in Society

   • Unit 1: The Reporter and Journalism · 3 hours

     Read Unit 1: The Reporter and Journalism, focusing on the definition of journalism and the functions of a reporter.. Identify the role of the reporter in the society.. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 1.1..

   • Unit 2: Attributes of a Journalist · 3 hours

     Read Unit 2: Attributes of a Journalist, focusing on the qualities of a good reporter.. Discuss five major attributes of a reporter.. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 2.1..

2. Week 2Module 1: Role of the Journalist in Society

   • Unit 3: Gathering the News · 3 hours

     Read Unit 3: Gathering the News, focusing on different sources of news and how to generate ideas for news stories.. Visit a newspaper house in your community and find out the sources of news for the organization.. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 3.1..

   • Unit 4: Theories of the Press · 3 hours

     Read Unit 4: Theories of the Press, focusing on the various theories of the Press and their relevance to Nigeria.. List the four categories of general social theory recognized by McQuail.. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 4.1..

   • Unit 5: Journalistic Terminologies · 3 hours

     Read Unit 5: Journalistic Terminologies, focusing on the terminologies peculiar to journalism.. List and explain 10 terms mostly used by journalists.. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 5.1..

3. Week 3Module 2: Print Journalism

   • Unit 1: News and News Judgment · 6 hours

     Read Unit 1: News and News Judgment, focusing on the definition of news and the criteria for identifying a newsworthy event.. Ask 10 different people why they read newspapers and write your own definition of news.. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 1.1..

4. Week 4Module 2: Print Journalism

   • Unit 2: Rudiments of News Story · 3 hours

     Read Unit 2: Rudiments of News Story, focusing on the basic elements of a good news story.. Take a look at two lead stories in the front page of any newspaper of your choice and evaluate the stories based on your knowledge of objectivity.. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 2.1..

   • Unit 3: Writing for Newspaper: The Lead · 3 hours

     Read Unit 3: Writing for Newspaper: The Lead, focusing on the elements of a lead and how to write a good lead.. Look for the WHO, WHAT, WHY, WHERE and WHEN in newspapers of your choice and indicate each element of the lead on the cuttings.. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 3.1..

5. Week 5Module 2: Print Journalism

   • Unit 4: The Body · 3 hours

     Read Unit 4: The Body, focusing on how to build up the body of your news story and the ingredients needed to achieve this.. Look at the Guardian and This Day newspapers and examine the stories at the back page of each of the newspapers and underline the transitional devices used in the lead stories.. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 4.1..

   • Unit 5: Word Economy · 3 hours

     Read Unit 5: Word Economy, focusing on how to write a tight story and avoid redundancy and clichés.. Read the editorial column of a newspaper of your choice and write down the clichés and redundant words you can identify in the editorial.. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 5.1..

6. Week 6Module 3: Broadcast Journalism

   • Unit 1: Broadcast Style Book · 6 hours

     Read Unit 1: Broadcast Style Book, focusing on the guidelines for writing a broadcast story.. What do you understand by the term house style?. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 1.1..

7. Week 7Module 3: Broadcast Journalism

   • Unit 2: Preparing Broadcast Copy · 6 hours

     Read Unit 2: Preparing Broadcast Copy, focusing on the essential hints for making your copy readable and understandable.. Write one news story for Radio and another for T.V from the given passage.. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 2.1..

8. Week 8Module 3: Broadcast Journalism

   • Unit 3: Writing for the Ear: Five Principles · 6 hours

     Read Unit 3: Writing for the Ear: Five Principles, focusing on the principles of writing for radio.. Look at the front page of your local newspaper, study three lead stories and re-write them for radio broadcast.. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 3.1..

9. Week 9Module 3: Broadcast Journalism

   • Unit 4: How to Make Your Copy Sound · 3 hours

     Read Unit 4: How to Make Your Copy Sound, focusing on how to use words distinctly in telling your story.. Go to a Television station in your locality, collect the news bulletin for the major news of the day and review the news items based on your knowledge of sound copy.. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 4.1..

   • Unit 5: Interviewing · 3 hours

     Read Unit 5: Interviewing, focusing on the techniques and their application.. Pick someone on radio or television that you think is a good interviewer and tape a live interview the reporter does and write down the questions.. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 5.1..

10. Week 10Module 4: Online Journalism

    • Unit 1: What is the Internet? · 3 hours

      Read Unit 1: What is the Internet?, focusing on the definition of the Internet and its advantages.. Visit the Net and send a mail to a friend in another country on latest political developments in Nigeria and attempt a download of more information on the history of the Internet using any of the common search engines.. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 1.1..

    • Unit 2: Computer Assisted Journalism · 3 hours

      Read Unit 2: Computer Assisted Journalism, focusing on the relevance of the computer to a journalist.. What do you understand by Computer Assisted Journalism (CAJ)?. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 2.1..

11. Week 11Module 4: Online Journalism

    • Unit 3: Navigating the Net · 3 hours

      Read Unit 3: Navigating the Net, focusing on how to get connected to the Net and the workings of the Web.. Explain the terms Modem and WWW.. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 3.1..

    • Unit 4: Using the Browser · 3 hours

      Read Unit 4: Using the Browser, focusing on the use of the browser.. Go to the Web and look for yesterday's edition of your favourite Nigerian newspaper.. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 4.1..

    • Unit 5: Legal Pitfalls on the Internet · 3 hours

      Read Unit 5: Legal Pitfalls on the Internet, focusing on the legal potholes you may encounter on the information highway.. Briefly explain how materials published on the Internet can lead to contempt of court?. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 5.1..

12. Week 12Module 5: The Journalist and the Law

    • Unit 1: The Concept of Press Freedom · 3 hours

      Read Unit 1: The Concept of Press Freedom, focusing on the freedom of expression and press freedom.. What do you understand by freedom of expression?. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 1.1..

    • Unit 2: Regulation of the Mass Media · 3 hours

      Read Unit 2: Regulation of the Mass Media, focusing on the history of the regulation of the mass media.. What are the major provisions of the Newspaper Ordinance of 1903?. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 2.1..

    • Unit 3: Disclosure of Source of Information · 3 hours

      Read Unit 3: Disclosure of Source of Information, focusing on the constitutional provisions on the disclosure of your source of information.. How would you defend yourself if you were asked to disclose your source of information in the court?. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 3.1..

13. Week 13Module 5: The Journalist and the Law

    • Unit 4: Contempt of Court · 3 hours

      Read Unit 4: Contempt of Court, focusing on the definition of contempt of court.. Differentiate between civil and criminal contempt.. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 4.1..

    • Unit 5: Hints on Court Reporting · 3 hours

      Read Unit 5: Hints on Court Reporting, focusing on the language of court reporting.. Explain the terms: Defamation, Affidavit, Injunction, Plea and Prima facie.. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 5.1..