(Podcast) Basic Journalism

Episode 7 emphasises the Internet as an important tool in the news gathering process. The pervasiveness of computers in today's society signals an ever increasing role of information technology in our personal and working environment. You will be taught how to explore the Web with two of the most popular browsers in use today. You will learn also of the uses of the Web for journalistic activities.

Episode 5 discusses what an interview is and what is needed to conduct a successful interview. You will learn about the different stages of interviewing. You will also discover the various terms in journalistic interviews.

Episode 8 explains the processes of conducting a library search. Most media organisations have their own resource library to facilitate research on topics and issues of public interest. You will learn about the cataloging system used by most libraries. You will be taught how to conduct a library search and how to find related materials at your resource centre.

Episode 9 touches on still photography that is still relevant to the needs of the print, broadcast or digitalised media. You will also learn about the functions of photographs and how to use a photograph. You will be trained on how to write cutline's or captions. Ethical issues relating to photographs will also be discussed.

Episode 10 touches on informational graphics which are gaining an important place in today's mass media. Readers of mass media find that informational graphic elements help to elucidate a complicated and complex process. You will be taught how to choose the right informational graphic for every circumstance. You will also learn the procedures of creating informational graphics.

Episode 1 introduces students to the field of journalism. This glamorous field of journalism may not seem so glamorous after you have gone through this topic. You will learn about journalistic responsibilities. You will also be taught the typical structure of a newsroom. Finally, you will learn the traits necessary to survive as an effective journalist.

Episode 2 introduces you the concept of news. You will be taught several definitions of news and how they relate to the field of journalism. You will learn about newsworthiness. After you have gone through this topic, you will start to appreciate why not everything that happens gets printed. You will understand why some events get highlighted while others never see the light of day.

Episode 3 discusses the characteristics, and process of news writing. You will learn how to generate your own ideas for news.

Episode 4 discusses the various categories of news leads. You will learn the process of writing the lead. You will find that writing the lead is not as easy and straightforward as you may have thought.

Episode 6 illustrates a specialised form of gathering information for writing news. If journalistic interviews are done with one to three informants at any one time, surveys are conducted to solicit responses from a sample of a selected population. You will be taught how to plan and conduct a survey. You will also learn how to read the survey report.