It was 10 o’clock in the morning and I was sitting in a very ‘office-looking’ office for the first time in my life, for the first interview of my life. I’m pretty sure you can imagine the desperateness of my situation when under such circumstances the first question the interviewer asked me was ‘Who are you?’. What is that supposed to mean? – I thought. The remainder of that interview is of no consequence to our present discourse so I shall conveniently skip it, even though I did get that job!

The question, however, stayed with me. I thought of why I was asked that question, and the only conclusion I could reach was that perhaps they wanted to know ‘What’ I can be, or ‘Who’ I can be to them! These questions are of great significance to all of us. For, even though we do not realise it, we are all brands in ourselves, and our main quest in our life is to build the brand value, build the band perception for those around us, and earn credibility and loyalty for the brand and the profits that come with it. We all need people to know who we are. And with proper self-branding, not only will we realise who we are, but we’ll also make the right people care, and open up path options that will take us where we want to be.

The idea is not to lie or cheat, but simply to let the light shine! If you have it, flaunt it, and flaunt it strategically at that. Self branding is all about brand building ‘you’, and for that you need to maximize your marketing potential. Celebrity marketing does just that! They make strategic moves with a certain agenda in their mind. That is why celebrity marketing is such a booming business these days. For that matter even artists, musicians, CEOs, physicians, high profile lawyers, politicos, financiers and other professionals get help from celebrity marketers these days.

Some people who have done a masterful job of marketing themselves have become established brand names, even attained iconic statures! Think of David Beckham for instance. His smooth moves on the field followed by carefully chosen endorsements and appearances built his name into an intangible brand, elusive, untouchable even. Closer to home we have Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar, Shar Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Saurav Ganguly who have all been extremely successful at branding themselves. Tom Peters, a management consultant is himself a master of self-branding advises each person to become a “brand”.

Although self-branding can be self-taught, here’s a little push for you all. I am sharing these few pointers with you so that you are never tongue-tied when asked to market yourself!

1. Ultimate Selling Point.
Identify that one point about yourself that makes you different from the rest. Do you do things differently? What is the one thing that identifies you in the eyes of those around you? It could be anything from your speed to your accuracy to your quality of work. All of us have a certain something that makes us special. And when you want to brand yourself you want to work on that speciality of yours, perfect it and showcase it for the right people to see and notice.

2. Competitive Analysis.
Just as a company must position itself against its competition so must you. Identify your competition, identify the brand perception of their brand and work on it so yours is better than theirs. Build on their edge to create an even more compelling advantage and a much more compelling brand for yourself.

3. Values.
Our personal values guide our decisions. They are the principles that shape the way we work and interact with people. Our personality traits reveal what values are dear to us. Identify the values that guide you, and then focus on the ones that will be most critical to your future. Do not fight yourself because of what you think you should be. Learn what you are and mould it in the way that will best suit you.

4. Impressions.
Every time you associate with someone think of it as an opportunity to strengthen their association of your face or your name with the quality you excel at. You want your name to be thought of in a certain way and for this you have to be sure you leave your name for others to see wherever it needs to be associated with the work that is done by you. Your emails, your remarks, your posts and comments are all aspects of you that can work to build your brand value and put across the idea that you deliver your brand promise. So don’t shy off from taking credit for work done by you- in a sophisticated manner of course.

In conclusion all that remains to be said is that you need to be cognizant of the negative ramifications of over saturating the market with your brand can have. Also grow your brand strategically but do not take the risk of ruining you brand image through the wrong kind of growth. Remember, not all growth is good growth!!

The growth of the media industry has been tremendous over the last few years. The leaps that it has taken would put any prize horse to shame. There has been no looking back ever since people realized the power that lay in media…and the money. The amount of money riding in this industry is a clear indication of its success. But as with all success stories, even this one is not without merit. The media industry is one where creativity is a big buck winner and innovation is the need of the hour. And there is no questioning the worth of a truly original idea, it really works.

One of the newest entrants to this crazy yet interesting world is social media. For many here, including myself a while back, social media was equal to Facebook. That was all there was to it. However in reality it is not the case. While social media is not just Facebook, it definitely is one of its biggest success stories. There will be very few among us who do not have a Facebook account, let alone less than 200 friends. While this number is clearly not an indication of how liked you are in society, it surely speaks of the number of people that you can reach out to in a split second. That power itself is huge. There is a lot of potential in this medium and it has been evident with the kind of speed with which news spreads on social networking sites. Today, the fate of the movie can by all means be judged by the number of activity its site sees. Or making it a little easier, the number of comments or tweets about it.

However social media is not all about Facebook. It is just the start…going on to twitter and even blogs, this form of media has huge potential. How exactly can a media student use this form of media. The answer lies in the term itself- Social Networking. Networking is the buzz word for this industry where people and their opinion form the crux of all successes and failures. Media students should see networking sites as more than a means to broaden their friend circle, it should be a means to keep themselves in touch with as many people and information from the industry they wish to be part of. While this does not mean sending out strange friend requests and hounding people on Linked In, it simply means staying in touch with the industry as such.

It is important to be aware of all the happenings of the industry and this is easily done with all the blogs that are found on the net. While not all of them are potent sources of information, there are few which can really help an aspirant to understand the nuances of the industry. Apart from this, many of the people who blog about media are media persons themselves. While all of them might not be kind enough to encourage youngsters who mail them for information, the openness of the industry indicates that people will not be averse to the idea of helping new comers out. Especially on blogs, apart from getting information, one can build relationships with professionals who will be more than willing to spread their knowledge about the industry.

Apart from this the internet has also blessed us with more sites than one can possibly imagine. There are many sites for aspiring media professionals which give out information about the industry and sometimes even help by giving relevant projects. While there might not be much money in these projects, it will help students to get a taste of the industry and how it functions. An understanding of the industry will help them to get better exposure and thus a better job. Apart from the more obvious benefits, the learning curve is much greater when projects are undertaken. This also improves ones’ portfolio which again would help in getting a more quality job.

Thus media students should make it a point to understand the power of the industry that they aspire to enter. Accordingly they should use this understanding to make the most of the many forms that it has to offer. Using social media effectively can not only improve your chances of getting a better job, it will also aid in the learning process which at the end of the day is extremely important from the long term point of view.

There is a singular passion that drives most people who aspire for a career in journalism- love for the written word. This is the driving force for most budding journalists who want to make it big in this field that is tough and challenging. Journalism is one of those fields that doesn’t come with stipulated work hours. A journalist needs to be on his toes at all times, aware of his surroundings and capable of reacting appropriately in situations. A journalist’s weapon is his pen and Armour is his objectivity. It is precisely for this reason that journalists need to train themselves in the art of writing and more importantly in the art of observing. There are few things that a journalism student should keep in mind while building his portfolio:

1.Have an inquisitive mind

A journalist needs to be aware of his surrounding at all times. The need to understand things with an objective bend of mind can help to a large extent. Also this habit needs to be inculcated from early on and cannot be developed overnight. Being able to comment on issues proactively and having a fresh take on subjects is an added plus of being a journalist.

2.Read A LOT

While most of us have been educated in good schools and so have a good command over the language, internet and social networking seems to be doing a good job of killing it entirely. SMS language is common and most kids nowadays don’t know how ‘you’re’ is spelt! While it is easy to assume that nothing could have ruined our own language skills, many a times this is far from the truth. It is for this precise reason that reading becomes such an integral part of being a writer in general and a journalist in particular.

3.Try commenting on what you see

It is important that aspiring journalists train themselves to write on a consistent basis. This could start with small articles and graduate to longer more intense pieces. What is important is to build a repertoire of work that can be used as a judge to base your competence as well as  a training for later more professional writing.

4.Develop an interest towards writing on topics you might not like

While most who want to become journalists like to write, this is usually restricted to topics that they enjoy. However the true test of a journalist comes when you are capable of writing on topics you don’t really like. If you think that sports is your area of expertise, try writing on fashion and vice versa. The rationale behind this is that it is not necessary that you might always get to work on topics and pieces that you enjoy. In such a situation you should still be able to write well written articles.

5.Develop an interest towards writing on topics that you find tough

Another test to the true journalism aspirant is whether or not you are open to the idea of writing on topics that you find tough. It is very easy to work on topics that hold your attention, your prowess lies in being able to write an interesting piece on a subject that you find tough. For this, it is important that you constantly keep yourself abreast of all the happening s around the world and try and understand those that you don’t. Don’t like computers? Try subscribing to Chip magazine!

6.Get your work published

A feather in every journalist’s cap is the number of his articles being published. While this doesn’t mean that it needs to necessarily be on superior magazines and newspapers, it needs to be published. There are many websites that encourage budding writers. Try joining a few of them and write for them on a regular basis. Getting your work published as much as possible and build an archive of all your published articles. It works when you need to find work.

7.Variety

Something that can help a budding writer or journalist is to ensure that they have variety in their writing. While this doesn’t just mean being able to write on a variety of topics, it means being able to write with variety. Try writing poetry as well as articles, short copies as well as long ones, stories as well as news pieces. This variety will help in the long run as it gives you the experience of handling multiple ways of writing.

Finally, a writer can remain true to his work only if he continues with what he started off with in the first place- passion. Only if an individual continues to find excitement in his work and keeps the fire for good writing in his heart, will he be able to be a good journalism student and someday a class A journalist as well.

Henry Ford once said, “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”

Indeed work would be dull, to say the least, if we had to do it all by ourselves. Good teamwork releases group synergy so that the combined effect of individual contributions far exceeds the sum of their individual effects. The basic assumption here is that individual contributions cannot be as good as all of us working together in a team. But think about it, is it really just an assumption?

Okay, let’s look at it like this. Do you think Alexander would have been as great as he ended up being if he had decided to be a one man army? Or would the Indian cricket team be the ‘Desh Ki Dhadkan’ that they are if they decided to be individual players instead of a team? The fact is that they simply cease to be if they stand alone. The power that they have comes from their team backing each and every one of them!

So too many cooks do not really spoil the broth! Also, the fact that there is mutual accountability and togetherness amongst members of a well-knit team reduces the burden from the shoulders of individuals. And our individual experiences have proven time and again that not only is team work good fun, but it is also a great learning experience.

Most modern creative organisations build teams for performing tasks because it can be established that working in groups can provide a distinct competitive yet satisfying advantage. A strong team environment promotes and encourages cooperative interaction between individuals, greater motivation and develops a culture of high performance. It even instils a sense of being comrades rather than competitors, although a little bit of healthy competition really never hurt anyone!

Working individually provides its own advantages such as an increment of personal creative stature, absence of conflicts and quicker decision making, but can hinder effective achievement of goals due to lack of a collaborative environment and an avenue for proactive and creative approach towards problem solving. While working in a team you will never be alone, you will always have some or the other person to suggest you good things. Suggestions and advice can help you in generating new ideas and bring out the creativity in you.

The fact just stated that suggestions and advice can help you in generating new ideas and bring out the creativity in you, is of immense significance. This point is brought out most when you consider media professions like copywriting and creative advertising. Although the two have distinct functions, quite diverse from each other, yet any piece of creative advertising must exhibit a perfect union of copy and creatives. Without the sense of oneness between the two even the most visually creative ads. and the most meaningful copywriting will fail to have the desired impact. And this kind of unity comes only through team work. If the copywriter wants to do his work alone and the creative designer wants to work alone then their work will never show unity, for their minds will not be in sync.

The above example is one in which the team works at the same level. But there are instances when a natural leader will emerge in a team and lead the rest of them naturally. it becomes difficult for some of us to handle such situations when we have to face our individual limitations and take a back seat. For after all, no one wants to admit that someone else is better than us- right! But the beauty of team work is that every team member is equally important as the other. For what good would a leader be if there was no one to follow him! And what good would an individual worker be if he did not have ideas to work on! A team provides a place for both of them. And no matter what you are inside a team, to the outside world you are both part of the same team. This makes you both equally worthy of whatever work you do as a team.

Personal rivalries and egos, therefore, have no place in a team. Essentially, a team is a mini organisation where no matter how much you give, you will never find yourself empty handed. Your repository of leanings will grow in leaps and bounds when you are working in a team. This is what makes working in teams the great learning experience that it is.

Marketing in its most crude description has meant the art of selling. It is the art of subtle( not any more) persuasion that originally was meant for convincing someone to buy something. Today that definition holds true except that in many cases there is an add on to it. It still involves convincing people to buy something, the difference is, you might not really need it. And that is why it is such an art today- no longer is marketing about telling the audiences about availability. It’s about telling them about the plenty that is available and getting them to choose ‘you’ over the other hundred options. It is precisely for this reason that today there is a distinction between Social Media Marketing or New Age Marketing and Traditional Marketing. In every sense of the term, Social Media Marketing is here to stay.

In the beginning, when marketing was all about telling your audiences about where they could find you, marketing was simple. It was all about getting together a good sales team who would be able to put up an interesting campaign in place along with their partner ad agency, to come up with a catchy snazzy ad campaign that could not fail. Add to this an interesting sales agenda and profits would sky rocket with the blink of an eye lid. But then what happened when Company X had a good marketing team and Company Y had a good marketing team too? Along side came A and B and C… Soon the market was too crowded and standing out was important to survive, to get noticed. It was no more just about letting the audience know that ‘I am good and I can be found here’ it was about telling them how your product was better than the many available in the market. So dawned the age of New age Marketing.

In this form of marketing, no stones are left unturned and no attempts are left behind to capture the attention of the ever elusive ‘Target Audience’. The Consumer here is King and there is nothing that is good enough to win him over. This form of marketing believes in the concept of IMC or Integrated Marketing Communications which involves a heady mix of advertisements, events, blogging, direct marketing etc. it is a lot of everything and everything in a lot. Today products follow us wherever we go. Whether you are traveling in a bus or watching a movie or booking your tickets online, there is always a tiny corner peeking out from somewhere asking you to take notice of it- asking you to pick them over the others. This is Social Media Marketing and it has just begun. For all those who believe that they make their own choices on what they want and what they don’t, think again. Unconsciously if not consciously we are trained constantly to choose a product over the other. We are being bombarded by images and events through varied channels of communication in the media to buy things, things we need, things we don’t need and things we think we need. This is the power of social media marketing.

The power of social media marketing lies in its marriage with media itself. Today the media acts as an agent for marketing in a way. Most newspapers today are just one giant flier- each page devoted to another product or company. One switches on the television only to realize that most channels have hours of interactive TV advertising which run late into the night- and most of the time they even work. Most movies are ‘the place’ for product placement as they reach out to wide audiences. Everything, right from houses to cars and even fridges are shown as a part of a deeper scheme of reaching out to the audience in every possible way.

What this essentially means is that traditional marketing is passé. Not that it did not have its own merits, it cannot exist in today’s day and age. It cannot survive in this world that is fraught with competition and multiple choices. However it is this marketing that has given birth to the new age marketing or social media marketing.

It is to be understood that this new form of marketing has just begun. It is in its nascent stages and has eons to go before it matures. Through IMC, it has only attempted to make a start at the journey that it is on. Not to be misunderstood, this journey is not for the faint hearted. For this new age marketing is bold and forthright and is filled with challenges at every step. And for those who thought marketing was a tough place to be in, this is just the trailer. Social Media Marketing has just begun.

A morning cup of tea, followed by a daily dose of the current happenings thanks to the newspaper that gets dropped at your door step. This sounds like an average day for anyone of us doesn’t it? But then have you ever wondered what power that cup of tea can hold. While it may sound out of this world that the cup of morning ‘chai’ could have any significance, apart from the obvious ones, this is not entirely the case. For, it is possible that many a times that cup of tea is making you think about things that you would never associate it with, things of importance, things that can start revolutions. Thinking all this sounds impossible? I have two words for you- Jaago Re. And quite literally as well!

This is a clear indication of the power that the media wields today. It is larger than life, its powers are all encompassing and it influences our lives in ways we could never even fathom a mere decade back. To think about it logically, who would have imagined that tea drinking would be translated into a massive movement to encourage the masses, the youth in particular, in ideas of governance and the social responsibility? And the brilliance of it all lies in the fact that it worked, it worked like a charm. Tata tea got the image of a life time and a record number of people registered themselves to vote. This is media and its power and its gigantic best.

What does all this go to show? Does it mean that the media is manipulating our thoughts, that all around us there is information that is fed to us, information that we might not really need? Quite on the contrary. This means that there is an agency out there that is making a point to remind us of the things that we tend to forget and if it is making some money out of it, what’s the harm in it after all? I was quite intrigued by a recent theory that I read about which spoke about Media as a gatekeeper. It got me thinking. If this was true then it meant that a lot of what we feel strongly about could possibly be the result of a very intelligent media company or channel and if that is the case then are we actually thinking for ourselves or have we out sourced that as well?

All these questions point to one common truth- good or bad the media today is a sieve. It decides what needs to go out there and in what proportion. It decides what is important, what needs to be kept under wraps- each day. There are two sides of looking at this. For those who specialize in doubting every move and intention this could be a curse. To think that the information that we think we are looking for is actually fed to us without even realizing it! Sounds scary doesn’t it? And if this is the case then how legitimate is that source which is making these decisions for us.

However there is a flip side to the argument. Supported by all the proponents of media and its supporters comes the view that there is and never can be any other channel that can mobilize public opinion so quickly and so effectively. This means that there is a lot of power in the hands of the media to bring about a positive difference in society. It can act as a harbinger of change, questioning the injustice and bringing together the voices of a lot of people who would otherwise have no source to get their voices heard. Even if they did, it would never be taken as seriously as it is when all of them come together. This is what was seen when the Jaago Re campaign succeeded and has happened with many brands after that.

The point of this discussion is to understand that the media today might have an upper hand in dispensing information to the masses. This could also mean that the information that is being passed out is lop sided. But that is the cynical point of view and we cannot survive if we turn into a generation of cynics. It would defeat the purpose of public good and social living. What it means is that the media is powerful, it is a channel and it is the only source known that can influence such a large mass at the same time. While this is a big responsibility on its shoulders, it is also a big opportunity for change. It is the only way that positive change can be dispensed and that is the only way that this power can be used responsibly.

While there will always be people who doubt all that comes their way and question the intention of the media, I think quite differently. Realizing that all in life is not white or black but painted shades of grey, this too is not something that can be all good or all bad. There is worth in the idea of media acting as gatekeepers and at the same time there could be its faults, but the point being made is that there too, one always has the choice of which side to take.

The new age concept of Citizen Journalism started in the USA as a counter movement against the eroding trust in the media and widespread disillusionment in the public with politics and civic affairs. And what started then has now become a rather well known New Media concept. It is known today for various reasons and by many names. Titles like ‘public’, ‘participatory’, ‘guerrilla’ and ‘street journalism’ describe various perceptions this concept which, according to the seminal 2003 report We Media: How Audiences are Shaping the Future of News and Information, is basically a concept in which members of the public play an active role in “the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information”. The authors of the report, Bowman and Willis, opine that “The intent of this participation is to provide independent, reliable, accurate, wide-ranging and relevant information that a democracy requires.”

Citizen journalism, a part of New Media, is a form of citizen media and user generated media. It can be practiced at the individual level, or in groups etc. However this should not be confused with sections of journalism like ‘community journalism’ or ‘civic journalism’, which are practiced by working journalists, or for that matter, with ‘collaborative journalism’ which is practiced by both professional and non-professional journalists working together.

Basically then, citizen journalism is an act of unprofessional journalism, by anybody with or without professional training in the field. All that is required is a certain amount knowledge of modern technology tools and the World Wide Web. In fact, it is the global distribution of the internet that has made citizen journalism possible. As a result, anyone with a camera (of any sort) in his hand can today become a citizen journalist, just though a click, or videotaping of events and uploading them to the internet for example.
The term ‘journalism’ however does not limit the possibilities and growth prospects of this new found tool for the general public all across the world. Today citizen journalism has branched out into various sub-divisions formed by the netizens, for the netizens. The driving force however, has remained constant through the years- the desire of the general public to collect and spread reliable information.

Audience participation is one such branch of citizen journalism that is impacting the world of Marketing Communications so much so that it has forced the companies the world over are redefine policies, change strategies and outlook, rethink goals and objectives etc. But how did this unprofessional form of journalism having such a great impact on the extremely professional corporate world of today? The reason for this is hidden behind a little human weakness: the desire to talk! We humans love to communicate, not just to share our feelings, but to compare and analyze and discover new things as well. This is an inherent tendency found in every one of us, and it is this inherent tendency that has made ‘the word-of-mouth’ such a powerful instrument for Media and Marketing practitioners. And audience participation in the form of comments attached to news stories, blogging etc., both negative and positive, has therefore become a powerful instrument of divulging information that might lead to the unpopularity and shame of a the concerned company.

Audience participation is only the tip of the ice-berg though. The wings of citizen journalism have spread far beyond. And today aspects of it like participatory news sites, “thin media” like mailing lists & email newsletters, collaborative and contributory news sites, and personal broadcasting sites etc. are making citizen journalism a fast growing phenomenon of the 21st century. In fact, so widespread is its reach that it is almost impossible to remain uninfluenced by it as intentionally of otherwise we have all been touched by one or the other of its widespread branches.

Terry Flew, a new media theorist, states that open publishing, collaborative editing and distributive content are the three elements “critical to the rise of citizen journalism and citizen media.” In this respect, any form of citizen journalism would be accessible to anyone and everyone, thereby creating a common world platform where one and all stand at par with each other. However, the concept has attracted a reasonable amount of criticism as well. For instance, some critics disagree with the terminology used as the term ‘citizen’ in effect excludes all those refugees and immigrants without papers who do not legally belong to any nation-state, and are therefore citizens at all. Critics from traditional media institutions hold the view that citizen journalism has abandoned the traditional goal of ‘objectivity’. Others have found citizen journalism sites to be lacking in quality and content. Still these are only minor stumbling blocks in the path of this phenomenon. And, sure to be nurtured by the further growth of the New Media, citizen journalism will, with time, deepen its roots as it eradicates all that has lead to these, and other such criticisms.

In common parlance, news is what is new. News is what everyone wants to know about. A newspaper office’s main concern is to gather news and report news-local, state, regional, national, and international. The basic understanding about news is essential for any editorial work in a newspaper, news agency and news magazine.

Definition of news:

There are several definitions of news. News may be defined as anything timely that interests a large number of people and the best news is that which has the greatest interest in greatest number of persons. In other words, news is the timely report of events, facts and opinions and interests a significant number of persons. News is a piece of information about significant and recent events that affect the audience and is of great interest to them.

By the above definitions one can understand the basic essence of news but not a concrete definition. This is because news is an abstract concept whose shape changes as the interests of humans change. (Reporting and Writing News, 1983). News is relative in nature. It changes with the changes in other factors related to it

News depends on factors like-

1. Size of the community (readers/viewers).

2. The periodicity of the publication (weekly, monthly etc).

3. The social character and economic base of the community.

4. The focus of attention or emphasis of the community.

John B. Bogart, city editor of New York, SUN defines news like this,” when a dog bites a man it’s not news but when a man bites a dog it is news.” He pointed out very correctly that unusual events fall under the purview of news.

The salient features of news are:

1. Perishable- when the event is understood and the tension is eased off, then       news gets less informative and becomes history.

2. News is of interest to large number of people.

3. News is unusual events and happenings.

4. News is new to people.

Hard news and Soft news:

Hard news is mostly event centric. It is the narration of an event. Hard news items are centered on “who , what, when, why, when and how.” It does not dig beneath the upper crust of the layer. It is informative but does not lead to interpretations. Major thrust of the newspaper is hard news.

Soft news on the other hand is becoming a very important segment of newspapers. Mere reporting of events does not satisfy the readers. They would like to enter beneath the upper crust of the hard news. They want reasons, backgrounders, interpretations, & analysis. This is called soft news.

Ingredients of news:

1.    Timeliness: news must be timely and new. It will not arouse interest if it is already known, or brought to notice long after its occurrence.

2.    Nearness and proximity: people are more interested in what happens under their nose in their village, city, country rather than some distant land. Similarly they are more interested in what has direct impact on them. E.g. the news that the price of rise may rise will make them sit up more than a report that the govt subsidy on fertilizers has been withdrawn.

3.    Conflict: people gather in a street when there is a fight or a conflict. Conflicts of all kinds make a good story.

4.    Prominence: what happens to important people makes news. The value of news increases with the prominence of the person/persons involved. former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi s assassination made world headlines but a murder of the village panchayat head will not arouse interest in people living in the city and will be carried only in the local newspaper.

5.    Government action plan: the passing of a new law or other orders concerning general public, cabinet meetings, parliament and assembly sessions, notification about rules and regulations are news worthy.

6.    Development projects and issues: this is not news about government action activities, though sometimes it will also qualify to be covered. The invention of high yield variety rice and its success in changing the life style is of interest to people.

7.    Human interest stories: people are interested in knowing what s happening to other people and about their lives. If a woman gives birth to quadruplets in a village, the story will interest everybody. In addition, oddities, humour, tragedy, triumph over handicap, motivational stories, bravery etc all make good human interest story.

8.    Weather and sports: both weather and sports generate a lot of interest in people and thus make important stories. Arrival of monsoons or cyclones is a front page story. An entire page or two is dedicated to sports.

9.    Follow up:  the news items become very interesting for people when followed up and updated timely. It is important to remember that follow up stories keep the reader s interest alive in the issue.

Fundamental qualities of news:

1.    Accuracy: accuracy is basic to any news item. When one fails in accuracy, he/she  loses credibility. Cross checking all  facts and figures is important. Check figures, names and facts. People usually get offended by misspelled names. If one is paraphrasing a speech from a text given, He/she should make sure to not change the meaning or quote statements out of context. Exclude rumour and gossip from the report. The reporting should be truthful.

2.    Balance: to be balanced in reporting is as important as being accurate. If one is writing about a controversy then he/she should make sure he is not biased. Give both sides of the story. While reporting a strike, for instance, give claim of the authorities and the workers on how far it is successful. A story may appear imbalanced and thus biased if much importance is given to the government’s point of view or the worker’s.

3.    Objectivity: One should not mix your opinion in the story. Report only facts. One should be a disinterested observer, reporting an event without taking sides.

4.    Clarity: A story maybe best in verbiage. The introductory statement should be brief and simple. It should be relevant to the topic and should be in active voice to the maximum extent possible. The ideal length of the paragraph should be about 4-5 lines containing small sentences to facilitate easy understanding. The news report should be written in the inverted pyramid style.

5.    Impact: whenever one does news report, consider the impact the story will create: Will it induce some changes for the better or will it incite people negatively?