some Journalistic Jargons

Some Journalistic Jargons

Acta Diurna A display board made up of clothes and placed at the public places by the emperor Julis Caesar in 59 BC known as the first mass media ever used in the history of journalism.
Air, Tight, Loose More white space known as air, an area with too little space is called tight and too much white space is called loose.
Blind Interview Usually a news interview with an unnamed source.
Blurb A brief introduction to the writer, usually following the headlines.
Body line Main part of news ( besides headlines, date line, credit line )
Breaking News News which is very important and very recently flashed from the media, usually in broadcast media.
Broadsheet Full size newspaper, averaging six to eight columns to a page.
Byline A line identifying the author of a story, kept usually below the headline and before the datelines.
Caption Text used to describe a picture, often written in one or two sentences below the picture.
Cartoon An amusing drawing in a newspaper or magazine especially one about politics or events in the news.
Chain Two or more newspaper owned by a single person or corporation. Also known s a group. Kantipur, The Kathmandu Post, Nepal, Nari are the chain of Kantipur publications.
Columnist A person who writes a regular column giving a personal opinion.
Copy What reporter write. A story is a piece of copy. Main text of a story.
Credit line Instead the name of the news author/ reporter this line designates the credit of the news reporter ( usually written as post reporter/ THT )
Cub A trainee reporter, a new journalist who knows very little about the principle of journalism.
Cut line A caption that accompanies a newspaper or magazine photo. Sometimes it is also called cut caption.
Date line The place name at the beginning of a story tells the readers where the story occurred. A date line includes the name of a city or town and sometimes the country also.
Deck A part of headlines, which summarizes the story. Also known as the deck copy or bank.
Design An arrangement of newspaper layout or decoration of news product.
Dirty copy Matter for publication that needs extensive correction.
Dummy A tentative layout of newspaper/ page.
Ear panel The sides of the mast head where news or advertisement is published. Some papers used both sides for this purpose, some use one side only.
Editorial An article in a publication expressing the opinion of its editors or publishers. In newspaper, it typically appears on the editorial page and is edited by the editorial page editor.
Editorial page The page on which editorials appear.
Edutainment A combined term for education plus entertainment. An entertainment program with education.
Embargo Material that can’t be used until it is released by the source or at a designated time. Also known as HFR( Hold for release ).
Filler Material used to fill space. Small items used to fill out columns where needed. Also called column closers and shorts.’
Flag Printed title of newspaper on page one. Also known as logotype or nameplate.
Gatekeepers Persons who control the flow of information. The gatekeepers can choose to accept or reject a piece of information for public consumption. Eg. editor.
Hammer A large headline above a smaller main headline. Using just few words; purpose to attract attention to major article.
House style A publication’s guide to style, spelling and use of grammar, designed to help journalists write and present in a consistent way for their target audience.
Journo Abbreviation for journalist or journalism.
Jump news or jump Condition of a story from one page to another. The news that is placed in the next page due to the lack of sufficient news hole. Jump news is placed in the front page to anchor the attention of the audience. Also called run over.
Kill To cancel or delete a story.
Liner Not a full time journalist, like a stringer s/he may send news stories to the paper and gets paid on the basis of lines of the news stories published in the paper. They often do have some different profession than reporting.
Logo A graphical element or stylized treatment of text which is used to quickly identify a particular company.
Maestro The leader of a news gathering team. Reporters, copy editors, editors graphics designers work with a maestro to create special reports.
Masthead Information about the newspaper such as the name of the publishing company, name of the officers of the company, location of editorial offices, editorship and distribution facts, all usually found at the top of the editorial page. In south Asia, Masthead designates the name of the paper.
Morgue The newspaper library, where published stories, photographs clipping and resource material are stored for reference.
Muckraker A journalist, author, photographer or filmmaker who investigates and exposes societal issues such as political corruption corporate crime, child labors.
Nut paragraph A paragraph that summarizes the key elements or elements of story. Usually found in a story not written in inverted pyramid form. Also called a nut Graf.
Off the record Usually means, don’t quote me some sources and reporters however, use it to mean don’t print this.
Op-ed page The page opposite the editorial page, frequently reserved for columns, letter to the editor and personality profiles. In Nepal; op-ed page is understood as opinion and editorial page.
Paparazzi International press cops who compete for stories usually of a sensational nature. Princess Diana of England is supposed to have faced car accident due to the continuous follow –up by paparazzi.
Plagiarism The use of any part of another’s writing & passing it off as your own.
Publisher Top – ranking executive of a newspaper. This title often is assumed by the owner, although chains sometimes designate as publisher the top executive.
Pulitzer prize The most prestigious of journalism award. It was established by Joseph Pulitzer & is administered by Columbia University.
Scoop A piece of important or exciting news that is printed in one newspaper before other newspaper know about it.
Tabloid A smaller format half of broadsheet folded, often preferred by publishers of local paper or computer papers. In Nepal we have many such papers.
Vested news Forced news by some pressure group or some un –new worthy information which a media house publishes for some financial or other interests.
Yellow Journalism The term typically refers to sensationalism in news reporting that bears only a superficial resemblance to the profession of journalism. A wrong practice of journalism to fulfill one’s motive.

















Meaning & Definition of Journalism

The English word ‘journalism’ has its root in another English word ‘journal. this word journal is said to have its root in French word ‘De Gaur’ meaning of the day or Latin word
‘Diurnum’ meaning pertaining of the day.
Oxford English Dictionary defines Journal as ‘newspaper’ Periodical, daily record of event ,dairy ,account book etc. Journalist as person writing for or editing newspaper etc .& it defines Journalism as ‘Work of Journalist’

Some Definition of Journalism
According to C.G. Mular –‘Journalism is the business of timely Knowledge’

B.N Ahuja-‘Journalism is the part of Social activities Which is concerned with the dissemination of news & views about the Society.’

Mathew Arnand-‘Journalism is literature in a hurry’

Webster’s third International Dictionary-The collection and editing of material of current interest for presentation publication or broadcast ‘

The News world Encyclopedia vol. ,7’Journalism is a profession of transmitting to the public News & view of the current interests”

Elements Of Journalism

*Journalist- Professional communicator.
*News-It is the basic element of Journalism. In fact, the practice of Journalism is there. Just because of news.
*Audience-Audience is the target, the ultimate goal. (News Receiver) Heterogeneous & widely dispensed.

*Media –Refers to means or tool through which the news travels to the audience.

*Use of modern technology.

Journalist-
The term Journalist includes the reporters, writers, and columnists who work for news papers, news agencies, magazines as well as the reporters writers, editors & Photographers working in the Radio –TV .Film areas. Journalists are Professional communicators
According to the Journalist code conduct 2060 – Journalist means a media worker related with the profession of Journalism such as chief editor, editor, member of editorial board , correspondent ,columnist, photo journalist , press camera man, cartoonist, program producer & runner costume scene and language editor associated