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This glossary is compiled of journalism related terms that came from the following websites:

www.highschooljournalism.org - High School Journalisim.org

www.snn.rdr.ca - SNN Newsroom

www.msjhs.org - Mission San Jose High School

Credit for this list goes to the preceding. By clicking on one of these links you will be leaving this site. Eastview High School, The Lightning Press, nor District 196 can take responsibility for the content published on other websites.

GLOSSARY FOR JOURNALISM
Ad-abbreviation for advertisement

Advance (advance story)-news of an event to occur in the future

All caps-a word or word written in all capital letters

AP-abbreviations for Associated Press, a news-gathering service

Art - Photos, maps, charts, graphs, illustrations. Art dresses up the paper and makes it visually appealing. Each story should be examined for art possibilities.

Assignment - A story a reporter has been given to research and write. A reporter is often "on assignment."

Attribute - to write the name of source of your information when using a quote, of book, or a part of any copyrighted work.

Banner-type of headline stretching full width, usually at the top of a page; also called a streamer

Beat-news source that a reporter is assigned to cover regularly

Box-material enclosed, either completely or partially, by a printed rule

Broadcast - communicating near and far using radio and television

Budget - A list of stories planned for the next edition. Each budget item includes the reporter's name, what kind of art is available for the story and the approximate length in inches. School papers might want to add deadline information.

Byline-the name and identification of a story's author

Caption-the heading placed above a photograph; sometimes used to refer to the descriptive copy below a photo

Center of visual interest (CVI)-the dominate item on a page - usually a photo, graphic or headline

Circulation - The number of papers sold. Dailies usually list two circulation numbers: daily (Monday through Saturday) and Sunday. Sunday circulation is often higher than daily circulation. Some daily papers have a circulation of several million. Some weekly papers have a circulation of a few hundred.

City desk - This department of a newspaper consists of local reporters and their editors. They work in the city room or the newsroom. Sports, business and features reporters do not work for the city desk, but have their own departments.

City editor - This editor runs the city desk. Reporters work for the city editor and the city editor's assistants. The city editor and assistant city editors keep track of the stories reporters are working on and are often the first to read those stories.

Classified advertising-ads run in small type in a separate section, which is often classed into different categories, such as "Help wanted" or "Lost and found"

Closed question - This type of question doesn't help a interviewee to open up! Closed questions usually prompt a person to answer with simple "yes" or "no". But keep in mind that they can be the right questions to ask at certain points in an interview. They help you pin down important information and get a definite answer.

Column (1)-a type of feature that is regularly run in a paper, featuring a single writer

Column (2)-the vertical sections of type, which may have varying widths to story on a page

Column width-the actual measurement in picas or inches; also measured in character count as a way to determine the character count of the entire story

Copy-a story or article written for a newspaper; also used to describe a page or block to text

Copyreading-checking copy for errors before it is entered into computer or receives its final rewrite

Copy editor - Someone who edits copy, checking for spelling, grammar, typographical and factual errors.

Crop-to eliminate unwanted portions of a photo to emphasize its center of interest

Cut-term for a newspaper photo or art, taken from engraving parlance

Cutoff test-reporter's check that final-paragraphs are not essential to story

Cutline-the descriptive copy below a photo

Dateline-line at beginning of news story giving point of origin, if not local, and date, if significant

Deadline-time at which job must be handed in or completed to make issue date of publication

Deck-each part of a headline in a single font, whether one or more lines (once used to define a single line of a headline)

Direct quote-the reproduction of a speaker's exact words, set within quotation marks and correctly attributed

Downstyle-the use of a minimum number of capital letters in headlines and body copy, where good usage permits an option

Draft - Most journalists will write a draft of an article before submitting it. After completing this draft, they will edit their own work for content and mistakes before submitting it to the editor.

Dummy - A diagram or layout of how a page will appear, showing the position of stories, headlines and art elements, such as photos, maps and charts. Copy editors "dummy" pages on "page dummies" -- blank page diagrams with only the column rules marked. Dummies can also show where ads are located.

Editing - the process of reviewing a news story, revising the writing and checking it for mistakes before it is published or broadcast.

Edition - The papers printed in one press run or one printing of the paper. A paper may have a state edition and a city edition. Big city dailies may have a half dozen editions. The "bulldog edition" is the very earliest edition and is distributed farthest from the city.

Editor - a person who edits material for publication or broadcast.

Editorial-an article that represents the paper's opinion

Editorial column-an article representing the opinion of a individual writer

Editorializing-inserting the writer's opinion into a news story, which should be written objectively

Euphemism-a milder word used instead of another word, possibly offensive - not an acceptable way to soften a quote from a news source

Feature story-an article of special interest with a quality other than its timeliness as main attractio

Filler - A short item that is used to take up space when a story doesn't fill a column or page

5 W's and an H-the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How - the key questions answered by a summary lead

Flag - The name of the paper atop the front page. It’s the flag because it flies above the rest of the page.

Folio line-the heading of inside pages, indicating section, school name, issue date and page number

Follow-up-a news story written after an event has occurred

Front page - The first page of the paper where the most interesting and most newsworthy stories are placed.

General assignment reporter - A reporter who does not have a beat, or specialty. A GA reporter might cover a fire in the afternoon and a speech in the evening.

Grammar - the study of classes and functions of words, how words are said, and how words relate in a sentence.

Graph-short for a paragraph (sometimes spelled graf)
Graphic -- A chart, graph, map or similar device used to help tell a story
Hammerhead-a large headline of only one or two words, followed by a longer and smaller head underneath - the reverse of a kicker

Headline-lines of display type printed above a newspaper story, calling attention to relative importance and attracting readers to the story's content

Headline schedule-list of styles and sizes, often with counts, for use in a newspaper

In-depth report-a story that goes beyond the surface to discover the news behind the news; also called an investigative report

Indirect quote-using a version of a speaker's words without quotation marks. Example: He said that he expected to reject the plan.

Infograph-a chart, diagram or graph presenting statistical information, such as survey results and enrollment figures, in easy-to-grasp form

Inverted pyramid-a method of writing a story using a summary lead and facts in diminishing order of importance

Journalist - a person who writes, edits, or reports for a newspaper, magazine or news broadcast.

Journalism - the business or practice of writing and producing news media.
Jump - The part of the story that continues on another page. The introduction to the jump on the first page is called the “jump line.
Kicker-short, lead-in phrase above main head

Label head-a headline without a verb; to be avoided

Lead (leed, lede)-the first paragraph of a story (see also, under Desktop publishing)

Leading questions - These questions try to lead an interviewee in a certain direction.

Libel-untrue statement or material that damages a person's reputation

Loaded words - words that leave people with a distinct and often negative impression. That can prompt your source to get defensive or to disagree with your question – and that won't help you get an answer to your question!

Makeup - The arrangement of stories and art on the page. Copy editors do page makeup on dummy sheets or page dummies. In other words, they draw sketches of what the finished page will look like. See the dummy entry.

Masthead-list of the paper's vital statistics, including school name and address, staff members and other pertinent data, such as editorial policy; usually found on editorial pages

Neutral questions - A neutral question is straight-forward. It doesn't have your opinion in it. You aren't assuming you know the answer already. Your question is clear and gets right to the point. In return, you will probably get an informative answer.

Nutgraph-paragraph giving the key details of a news story - the 5 W's and H - when a variation on the summary lead in used

Objectivity-an attempt to write a story without showing bias or injecting the writer's opinion

Off the record - this is what people say when they want the information they tell you to be unmentioned. This means that they don't want their names or quotes to be said to anyone or printed in your story.
On the record - the opposite of "off the record". This means that you are allowed to use the person's name and quotes for your story.
Online journalism - stories that are written specifically for the Web instead of newspaper, radio, television or magazine. It can include the use of text, photos, graphics, hypertext, audio and video to tell stories.
Open-ended questions - these questions encourage the person to talk and share their thoughts and feelings on a subject. It allows them to tell their own story without much prompting from the reporter.
Pack journalism - this refers to large groups of reporters from different newspapers or broadcasting stations who are all after the same big story. You usually find mobs of journalists outside courthouses, city halls, or at the scene of an accident or disaster, to get comments from the important sources. Compare this to a pack of hungry wolves: they're all hunting one thing, the story, but they're all so hungry that they want to move in to get the biggest piece for themselves.

Photo release-a permission form used by photographers for persons in photos not taken at news events, granting the right to print the photo

Photographs "Grip and Grin" - These are photos of people receiving awards or diplomas, cutting ribbons or passing out cheques. They just do the ‘handshake' pose and smile at the camera.

Plagiarism-unauthorized copying of another's work. Reproducing copyrighted material without permission - whether words or art - is a crime

Profile-feature story about a person; personality piece
Proofread - Reading every letter of every word in the paper to make sure everything is spelled correctly.
Publish - to produce or release a written work for the public to see or hear.
Publisher (1) - The chief executive of the newspaper. The publisher may be the owner or work for the owner or owners.

Publisher (2) - The company that prints an organizations newspaper.

Pull quote-quote from a story or news source that is "pulled out" and set as a graph in a distinctive format and type to attract readers to a story and add visual interes

Refers - Pronounced “reefers,” they appear on Page 1 and tell the readers about stories inside the paper.

Retraction-a printed correction of an earlier error in the paper

Review - An account of an artistic event or literary work that offers a critical evaluation and is the opinion of the writer.

Scrum - The gathering of reporters around a person who is important to a particular story. When a scrum occurs, all the reporters shout questions to the person in an attempt to further their own story. This situation is much more informal then a Press Conference.

Sidebar - A short story related to the main story and run adjacent to it. A sidebar develops one angle of the main story.

Slug-one or two words that specifically identify a story, typed in the upper left-hand corner of work to be edited or processed; also includes reporter's last name, plus date/time from edit menu

Source -a person, written article, book, song, video or film from which to get information

Stet-a term meaning "let it stand" - or disregard a change that was previously marked or indicated

Style-rules regarding punctuation, capitalization, abbreviation, etc.

Style book, style manual-compilation of style rules for a newspaper

Summary lead-a first paragraph that contains the essential 5 W's and H of a news story

Syntax - the way that words are put together to make sentences.

Teaser-a front-page box or boxes announcing a paper's inside contents, sometimes called a menu

Text Wrap or Word Wrap- In word processing (and other text-editing programs), a feature that automatically relocates a word to the next line when it will not fit on the current line

Top line - The biggest headline on the front page, sometimes called the banner.

Trademark-the legal, registered name of a product or business. Be sure to use capital letters when using such trademarked names as Kleenex and Coke, which are sometimes used generically

Typo - Short for “typographical error.” Typos can be embarrassing.

Wire - A source of information for Journalists. You may have heard a reporter say that they got their information "off the wire". The wire itself is an up-to-the-minute source of information for other reporters.

Wrap-up questions - help you make sure you have all the information you need. You can ask your source questions like this to end the interview and clarify information he has given you during the course of your conversation.