If you are starting out in journalism you might find our Media Helping Media Reporter’s Notebook helpful when covering your first story.
You can use the MHM reporter’s notebook as a tool for making sure you don’t forget the basics of news reporting. For those who use pen and paper, just jot down the headings and details set out below. Others might want to use the notebook digitally.
The notebook is based on two articles on MHM: ‘Essential elements of a news story’ and ‘The questions every journalist should ask’, which are: What, Why, When, How, Where, and Who.
You’ll probably use this notebook just the once. You’ll find the steps become normal behaviour when you have developed a news sense.
Page 1: Essential information
Here you write down the story details. At this stage you don’t really know what the headline will be. But you know what you are being sent out to cover. So just jot down a working title. It will most likely change when you have been to the scene and spoken to people.
Make a note of the date and time you covered the story and where the story is taking place. This is extremely useful when you are fact-checking and verifying information later.
- Story working title: __________________________
- Date and time: __________________________
- Location: __________________________
Page 2: Why is the story important?
Before you set out to cover the story you will need to be clear why it is in the public interest.
- The news value: Why is this news? (Is it the first time this has happened? Does it affect the whole village/town/city?) – see ‘How news value is assessed‘.
- The ‘so what?’ factor: Write one sentence explaining how this event changes the lives of your readers or listeners. Make sure you cover the human angle, and answer the so what? question. The human angle is important.
- The news angle: Are you focusing on the cause of the problem, the victims, or the potential solution? Be clear on the news angle you are taking.
Page 3: Who did you speak to?
Make sure your story includes a fair representation of voices. For every person you speak to, record the following:
- Source name and job title: (Ensure the spelling is correct by asking them to write it down if possible). Accuracy is essential.
- Contact details: (Phone number or messaging handle for follow-up questions).
- Role in the story: (eyewitness, official spokesperson, affected resident, or expert etc). Keep privacy in mind at all times.
- The headline quote: Listen out for the most newsworthy piece of information, usually the result of interviewing the right person at the right time. See our how to conduct and interview guide.
- Verification: How do you know they are who they say they are? Did you see an ID or a business card?
- The missing voice: Note down who is affected by what is happening but hasn’t so far been spoken to (children, the elderly, or marginalised groups etc). Make a plan to find them.
- Dealing with sources: News sources are vital for journalists to help make sense of what is happening. Without reliable information, reporters would be left staring at a blank page. See our piece on ‘developing and handling news sources’.
Page 4: What did you discover?
Journalism is about what you see, not just what you hear. Your observations are valuable, but your opinions don’t matter. You must be totally impartial in how you report the facts. Avoid adjectives and adverbs where possible.
- Sensory details: What does the scene look, smell, or sound like? Write down what you are sensing. These details bring a story to life for the audience.
- Data and documents: Did you see any official documents? Did you count the number of people involved in the story? Make notes, take photos, gather the evidence.
- Chronology: Create a mini-timeline of the event to ensure the sequence of what you witness is accurate.
Page 5: Are you acting ethically?
Protecting yourself and your sources.
- Informed consent: Have the people you want to talk to agreed be interviewed? Are they aware their name and words might be published or broadcast? See our ‘Informed consent scenario’.
- Vulnerable sources: If interviewing a child or a victim of crime, have you followed local laws and the MHM ethical guidelines?
- Accuracy check: Have you double-checked the spelling of every name and made sure that everything you report is accurate?
- Personal safety: Is it safe for you to remain at this location? Is there a risk of the situation escalating or becoming hostile?
- Personal bias: Have any conscious or unconscious biases affected how you report the story?
- Your integrity: Are there any reasons that could stop you writing a fair, accurate and impartial report? If there are, tell your editor and pass the story to a colleague. You need to act with integrity in all matters.
Page 6: The story outline
Prepare this before you head back to the newsroom. Even if you are just jotting down notes, make sure you are totally across the story you have been sent out to cover. This is because you might be asked to report live for your newspaper’s website or for your TV or radio station. You must always be prepared for the call when you are asked for the latest on the situation.
- The headline, lead: Write the most important fact in 25 words or fewer.
- The intro/summary: A paragraph explaining the big picture – why is this happening now and why does it matter?
- Visuals and audio: Do you have the photos, video clips, or vox pops (voice of the people) needed to accompany the text?
Related material
