Course Description: This course is aimed at introducing the participants to the world of journalism – news and its handling in various types of media. It deals with basic news elements, news structure and also the newsroom set up. Editing is an integral part of this course.
Course Contents: Unit 1: History of Journalism – Journalism in pre-independence era in India, Role of English and vernacular press during the freedom struggle, Growth of journalism in the post-independence era. Unit 2: Growth and Development of the Press – Emergence of newspapers, magazines, and publications houses, Emergence and growth of Indian news agencies. Unit 3: The Newsroom Setup – Various departments in the editorial setup, Hierarchy in the news room, Qualities and responsibilities of a reporter, Source and beats. Unit 4: News Reporting – What is news, news values, and news sources? Basic elements of news, Writing a news report, Types of Leads and Body text, Interviewing Skills required for reporting, Types of reporting. Unit 5: Editing News – Role and functions of desk, role of copy editor, Electronic copy editing and rewriting, writing headlines and captions, understanding the importance of style guides, news paper design and layout.