Unit II

PRINT MEDIA
Introduction
Print journalism has been a source for current events, information, and political news for centuries. In the
last 20 to 30 years, though, this field has experienced remarkable changes in content and format with the
advent of the internet and digital technology, causing uncertainty about the role of traditional journalism
in a modern world. This section aims to provide a contrast between the form, function and resources used
by media in the past (i.e. mid 1900s) and in the modern era. This comparison will especially focus on how
the news industry has been affected thus far by transitions to new formats such as television, radio, and
most importantly digital media.

BASICS OF NEWS WRITING

The ABCs of news writing are Accuracy, Brevity and Clarity.
The first and most important is accuracy -- a story can be creative and compelling, but if it contains errors,
it is worthless. Actually, it is worse than worthless; a false news story undercuts the public trust necessary
for the survival of a free press. Keep in mind that the First Amendment specifically protects the press from
government control so that the public can receive accurate and unbiased information. The public needs
unbiased information to make intelligent choices in the voting booth. This is critical to the process of
democracy in our country. If the public loses faith in the accuracy and fairness of the press, loss of faith in
democracy will soon follow. Always check numbers, spellings of names, who said what, and the other
basic facts of any story. A reporter's job is to find out what is going on, then write a story that's interesting
and informative. Accuracy always comes first.

Second is brevity. Each word in your story should do a job. If not, take it out. Get to the point. Say it
just once. Don't be redundant. Don't say "8 a.m. in the morning," since 8 a.m. is in the morning. Just say
8
a.m. Or say 8 in the morning. Remember the inverted pyramid style of writing. Put the most important
fact in the lead. Hook the reader's attention. Explain the lead and then go on to the next most important
fact in the second inverted pyramid. And then the next. Lead up to an interesting finish. Don't just stop
writing when you run out of information.
Clarity starts before you write. Clarity starts with complete, competent reporting. You should understand
your subject so completely that your story leaves it crystal-clear in the reader's mind. Your story should
leave no questions unanswered. Avoid jargon. Explain anything that wouldn't be obvious to the average
person. The more information you gather, the more you have to sift through to determine what belongs in
the lead. The more you know, the harder it is to tell it quick and make it simple. It's only easy if you don't
know what you're talking about. No one said good reporting is easy.
THE FIVE 'W's'
Every news story must cover the "Five W's:" Who, What, When, Where, Why and sometimes How and
So What? You don't have to cover all these in the lead, obviously, but usually you will address one or two
in the first graph. The rest should come soon. Make sure they are all covered somewhere in your story.

Structure of a News Story

A news story is organized differently from any other type of writing. For example, an essay would begin
with an introduction and then move on to the body and then end with a powerful conclusion. But a news
story quickly conveys the main facts of a happening – the climax – and then relates the other facts in the
order of diminishing importance. A diagram of the story would look something like this:

The main advantage of this type of writing is that it is easy to grasp the important points in the first few
seconds of the reading. Let us analyse a typical story in a newspaper.

Abdul Ghani Lone shot dead

Srinagar, May 21 (UNI): Senior Hurriyat Conference leader Abdul Ghani
Lone was today shot dead by unidentified gunmen at a rally here, dealing
a severe blow to the voice of moderates among separatists. One of
Lone’s gunmen was also killed in the attack while another injured, they
said.
The shootout took place during a ceremony to mark the death
anniversary of the father of senior Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq
and former Mirwaiz of Kashmir, Maulvi Mohammed Farooq, at Idgah
ground in Old Srinagar city, they said. The attack was apparently carried
out by two unidentified gunmen who appeared at the Idgah graveyard....
(The New Indian Express, Chennai)
Abdul Ghani Lone shot dead which appears in bold type is the headline. It is put at the head of the story
and gives the reader an idea about the subject of the story.
Srinagar, May 21 is the ‘dateline’. It tells the reader the place and date of the news story.
UNI is the ‘creditline’. The newspaper has published this story which has been supplied by the news
agency United News of India. By putting UNI the paper acknowledges the source of the news story and
 gives due credit. Sometimes the name of the reporter or correspondent appears below the headline: for
example, From John Mary, By K K Katyal etc. It is termed byline in newspaper jargon.
The first paragraph of the story is called intro or lead. In the above example Senior Hurriyat
Conference leader Abdul Ghani Lone was today shot dead by unidentified gunmen at a rally here,
dealing a severe blow to the voice of moderates among separatists is the intro/lead.
The rest of the news is called the body of the news story. Intro/lead gives the most important information
contained in the news story. A well written lead/ intro is a prerequisite of a good story.

HOW TO WRITE A NEWS LEAD

1. Condense story into one or two words. Put those words as close to the beginning of the first sentence
as possible without destroying the flow of the lead sentence.
2. Keep leads short — 20 to 30 words for the first sentence. Or fewer.
3. The news lead should tell the reader what the story is about and be interesting enough to draw the
reader into the rest of the story. Remember that the readers won’t know what the story is about until you
tell them.
4. Find the action in the story. Put the action in the lead.
5. Always double-check names and numbers. Check spelling, style and grammar. Put everything in order.
6. Attribute opinions. Stick with the facts.
7. Details, description. Report first, then write. Learn all, tell 10 percent.
8. Decide which of the news values best applies to the lead of the story. Write a lead that emphasizes that
news value.
9. Write in the active voice.
10. Don’t lead with a name, time or place unless that is the most interesting/important thing in the story.

QUALITIES OF GOOD REPORTERS

Desired qualities that must be present in a reporter and sub-editor are listed below:
It is customary to describe desired qualities of a reporter and sub-editor separately, but as both of them
deal with the same commodity, news, and their basic job is to communicate effectively many of these
qualities have to be common.

News Sense:
News sense is the basic quality of newsmen. Every reporter has to have news sense or nose for news to
distinguish news from non-news.
He should be able to compare various news values and decide where to begin his story and should not
miss important details.
News sense is essential for a sub-editor also. He is the first reader of a reporter’s copy and if the reporter has
made a mistake he has to correct it. A bad copy may have the most important element of the story buried in the
fourth paragraph. It will be left to the sub-editor’s nose for news to bring that to the first paragraph
Clarity:
A reporter should have clarity of mind and expression. A person who is confused himself cannot tell a
story to others.
Only clarity of mind is not enough unless it is accompanied by clarity of expression. Without clarity of
expression clarity of mind has no meaning.
Sub-editor is the judge of clarity of the copy a good subeditor will never allow a copy escape him unless
the meaning is crystal clear. He has every right to make life miserable for a reporter who is not clear and
does not write in simple language.

Objectivity: Reporter and sub-editor should aim at objectivity while dealing with a story. They should not
allow their personal bias or ideas to creep into a story. They should not take sides but try to cover all the
different viewpoints to achieve balance in the story.

Accuracy: A reporter should strive for accuracy. He should check and re-check his facts till he is satisfied
that he has them accurate. In this respect he should not take any chance as accuracy is directly
proportional to the credibility of a reporter and his newspaper.
The role of a sub-editor is to check for accuracy. It is particularly important when background is involved.
In the case of dates and names the reporter may rely on his memory but the sub-editor must check them
from reference material available in the newspaper office.
When there is a doubt he should leave it out—this is the golden rule of journalism. It is better not to say a
thing than to say it wrong.

Speed: In today’s world speed matters everywhere. A person who cannot work fast cannot be a good
reporter. While maintaining all other desirable qualities a reporter should strive to work faster. He
should think fast, decide fast and write or type fast for he has to meet deadlines or may have to go to
another assignment.
A sub-editor also has to work with speed. He cannot sit with a copy for long. He has to do swiftly
whatever is required of him for a lot more copy is waiting for him. A slow sub-editor is a curse at the
news desk and is treated with contempt. Some people are misfits in the profession.
Calmness: Reporters and sub-editors often work in trying circumstances. They have to remain calm and
composed in most exciting and tragic circumstances.
In many situations they have to be calm— devoid of hysterical actions or utterances and apply appropriate
mental and physical effort to write or edit the story.
Reporters and sub-editors are human beings. They have emotions but they have to stifle them in the face
of disturbing influences—they have to develop resistance to excitability. Being in the field, reporters face
many such occasions when they have to control their emotions.
Sub-editors should develop a temperament to work under pressure of deadlines. They should not lose
their cool if they are behind the clock for calm mind can work faster.

Curiosity: Reporters and sub-editors should have an insatiable curiosity. For reporters it is useful in
developing lust for facts that may lead to better stories.
This characteristic will keep on improving a sub-editor for with every passing day a curious subeditor will
have a better background to do his job the next day. Reporters and sub-editors should read as much as
possible to constantly improve their awareness level.

Punctuality: It is a good habit. For reporters it is a must for if they are not punctual they may miss
something for which they may have to depend on secondary sources. It is always better to be punctual and
then wait than reach late and ask others—a rival may misinform you or hide some important information.
At the desk too punctuality pays. If a sub-editor is punctual he will be treated with respect by his co-
workers.
If he is late he will irritate them and spoil the working atmosphere. Besides he may have to face the
problem of backlog of copy which he will have to clear under the pressure of deadline.

Patience: It is a quality which helps a reporter in a big way for many a time almost daily he has to test his
patience, the voluntary self- control or restraint that helps one to endure waiting, provocation, injustice,
suffering or any of the unpleasant vicissitudes of time and life.
Most of the time a reporter waits for someone or something and patience gives him the willingness for
wait without becoming disgruntled or anxious.

The art of interviewing – techniques

An interview is a planned process of asking questions and seeking answers to gain more information and
understanding. A reporter will have to interview several people while preparing news stories and
features. The questions seem to assume that a person being interviewed can and should be put at ease, but
this often is not the case. Many news gathering situations are tense, uncomfortable, unnatural, hurried,
perhaps joyous but more often sad and being at ease.
The question implies that there is a certain procedure a reporter can use to put a subject at ease before
extracting information.
 Smile politely
  Introduce yourself
 Exhibit interest in person and or subject
 Make sure source is comfortable
 Prepare to take notes unobtrusively
 Ask question: was that your kid out playing the traffic?

The reporter is under pressure to

1. understand what the news source is saying
2. Place it in context with what the source has said before or with what the reporter knows to have
happened before.
3. Think about what question logically follows what the news source is now saying.
4. Evaluate the newsworthiness of the material the source is providing.
5. Seek to determine consistency in this material by asking the same questions in a different way.
6. Do all of this in a manner that will maximize the amount of newsworthy material to be made
available to the news audience.

Interviewing is the backbone of reporting. It is a skill, which every reporter must acquire and acquire
well. Interviewing is almost certainly the most important way that reporters get the information that forms
the basis of their news reports. Like playing a guitar or dancing on a beat, some people seem to have a
gift for it, while others do not. Yet for all these activities, there are basic principles to learn, and those
who spend the time learning them will be better than those who do not. Being a brilliant interviewer may
be an art form; being a competent one is not.

A newspaper reporter conducts an interview for mainly two reasons: One, as a research for a news story.
Two, as a performance; part of the news report. Based upon these, interviews can be categorised into
following types:
1. The one-to-one short interview: Suppose you are covering a bomb blast. After speaking to eye-
witnesses, it is important for you to speak to a senior police officer, who is present on the spot. By
doing this, you will get the required quotes and may be some information too. For example, the
presence of a mysterious man in the area, just before the blast.

2. The one-to-one interview: Ceasefire has just been declared on the Line of Control, between
Indian and Pakistan. As a reporter, you may want to speak to somebody, to know the situation on
 the ground. This may involve fixing up an appointment with the Defence Minister. Such
interviews are long and detailed.

3. The Press Conference interview: Many-a-times, politicians or high ranking government

officials call a press conference to put forward their point of view.
For example, former Chattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi called a press conference to make his stand
clear in the infamous Cash-for-MLA scandal. An arrangement like this is very convenient for the
organiser because he is able to address many journalists at the same time. For a reporter this may
prove to be an anomaly, because in a press conference, reporters from various media organisations get
the same information.

Editing
In a news organization, editing plays a vital role. News reports written in a hurry by reporters have to be
checked and improved by a team of editors. These copies are checked for grammar, syntax, facts, figures
and sense. Editing is tailoring news items or a news story to the required shape and size using the right
kind of expressions and symbols. A copy is edited to highlight the ‘news sense’ in a story and to bring
uniformity of language and style in an issue of a newspaper. Editors look out for certain news values in a
copy like proximity, timeliness, prominence, consequence and human interest while selecting a news item
for publication. A news item is selected keeping in view its interest to a large number of readers and its
impact on them.
In the editing process, each newspaper has its own set of rules that are enforced. These rules are contained
in a small book called the stylebook. The copy editor handling a news copy also has to write the headline
for it, using limited words within the allotted space. Similarly, layout editors have to allot space for
photographs, maps, charts and graphs to go along with the news items. The language of photo captions,
maps, graphs and charts are different from the language used in the text and headline and have to be
mastered. A copy editor has to be well-versed in editing symbols to correct the copy, besides, he should
be capable of rewriting a poorly written story if it is of interest to the readers.

. The designation varies according to the choice of the organization. He plans and directs the day's' news
operations. He is supported by a team consisting of the news editors, chief sub-editors (chief sub), senior
sub-editors and sub-editors (sub).
The news desk usually operates in three' shifts: morning, afternoon and night (till late in the evening, even
up to 2.30 a.m.). In between, there are two link shifts-morning and evening-which are headed by the news
editors and or chief subs. They are also called 'slot' men. Ideally, in a newspaper, it is the news editor who
plans and directs page making, while the chief sub helps and implements it.
Editing is the process of preparing language, images, or sound for presentation through correction,
condensation, organization, and other modifications. A person who edits is called an editor.
STRUCTURE OF THE EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
The main functions of the editorial department are:
I. Collection of news.
II. Selection of news and features.
III. Editing of news and features.
IV. Interpretation of the news.
V. Editorial and selection of lead articles.

Rules of Editing
1. Paying attention to language:
The foremost principle is to make the copy readable. The sub-editor / editor must ensure that the story
conforms to the following five principles;
 It is precise
 It is clear
 It has a pace appropriate to the content
 It uses transitional devices that lead the reader from one thought to the next.
 It appeals to the reader’s senses
2. Rewriting
Rewriting news story is equally essential to ensure that the headline accurately reflects the news
captured in the text, and the perspective and the focus of the story is not lost in the ‘wordiness’.
Barnes underlines the importance of rewriting in one memorable sentence: Rewriting usually makes
 the difference between the mediocre and good paper. Even while in a hurry to catch the deadline, a
good sub-editor would not ignore rewriting aspect of editing. Use of proper words is another
important principle of editing. It will be worthwhile to inculcate the practice of using proper words
while writing news stories, features and reports.
3. Inverted pyramid model of writing news
The writing of news follows a certain pattern. The most interesting part of the event, the most unusual,
the most striking facts, or the facts which are the most rewarding to the reader or the climax of the story,
come first. The remaining facts are presented in the body in the descending order of importance. This is
called “inverted pyramid” model of writing news.
4. Deciding about the lead
The news lead is similar to the first few sentences with which you begin telling your friends the
outcome of some meeting or to your family member about event which you have witnessed.
5. Proof reading: Proof reading is an important part of editing. Every journalist and editorial
worker should have certain amount of proficiency in proof reading.
Some of the important rules for proof correcting are given below:
I. All correction should be made in the margin; only such marks should be made in the text
which are required to indicate the place to which the correction refers.
II. If any change is desired in a letter or word, it should be struck through and the letter or matter
to be substituted should be written in the margin.
III. The changes, if any, in the proof should not be the cause of trouble to the press; for example,
if two words are removed from the first line of a paragraph either matter of the same size
should be substituted or a complete line removed.
IV. Running-heads should be read carefully and the continuation from the foot of the each page
to the head of the next page be properly checked. In order to ensure the proper length of the
pages, a gauge should be used.
V. Special attention should be paid to the checking of scientific names and numerical data.
VI. Word breaking or division at the end of the line should be checked and made to agree with
the dictionary or the style manual of a publishing house.
VII. The proof reader should have a complete knowledge of proof correction symbols and
grammatical construction while correcting a proof.
NEWSPAPER MAKEUP
"Newspaper makeup" is defined as the design of a newspaper page or the manner in which pictures,
headlines and news stories are arranged on a page.
The objectives of newspaper makeup are as follows:
 To indicate the importance of the news
 To make the page easy to read
 To make the page attractive

Front-page focal point

Each page of a newspaper has a focal point - a point on the page to which the reader normally looks for
the most important story. Any area can be the final point, depending on the chosen design.
Advertisements can also dictate the focal points of the inside pages of a newspaper.
On the front page of some daily newspapers, the focal point is often in the upper right-hand corner a now-
dated practice that reflects the style of a bygone era. Americans, although trained to read from left to right
and top to bottom, greatly altered this pattern for many years with respect to their newspaper reading
habits. Through the use of banner headlines that extended more than half the width of the page, readers
were trained to seek the upper right-hand corner of the front page. Newspaper readers begin their reading
by following the banner headline across the page and continuing down the right-hand side of the page.
Therefore, many newspaper readers have come to expect the most important story in each issue to appear
or touch in the upper right-hand corner of the front page.
The right-hand focal point is not as important to makeup editors as in the past, since fewer newspapers
use banner headlines on the lead story. However, many newspapers still carry the most important story in
the upper right-hand corner of the front page because of established practices.
Today, a large percentage of newspaper editors use the upper left-hand corner as the focal point. These
editors think that readers, trained in school to read other literature from left to right, prefer their
newspapers to be designed that way too. A few editors still use other areas, such as the upper center of the
front page as the focal point. Only time will tell which is best, if indeed, there is a "best."

Inside page focal point

The focal point on inside pages is the upper left-hand corner if there are no advertisements. Therefore, the
focal point is influenced by a newspaper reader's natural sight tendencies and is not hampered by
customs.

On inside pages with advertising, the way ads are placed on the page influences the position of the focal
point. The focal point is always opposite the lower corner of the page that is anchored by the largest mass
of advertising.

NEWSPAPER DESIGN CONCEPTS

Successfully designing a newspaper page encompasses more than experimentation. It is actually a
calculated art evidenced by the following five newspaper design concepts:
1. Balance

In the balance concept, the page designer (hereafter referred to as the editor, although it may be any
member of the newspaper staff performing this function) tries to balance heads against heads, pictures
against pictures, stories against stories and artwork against artwork. This balance, however, is a relative
balance, and it is not measurable but is something gauged in the viewer's mind. Therefore, the editor has
to sense, rather than measure, the balance for a page. This perception is one developed by experience.
Figure 1 - Individual components of newspaper makeup.

2. Contrast
In the contrast concept, the editor strives to separate display items on the page so each gets the attention it
deserves. The editor uses type, headlines, pictures, white space and color to achieve contrast.
For example, the editor can achieve contrast with type by using regular type with boldface type.
Headlines also can be contrasted by using bold, blackheads or by displaying reman type with italic type.
The editor can achieve contrast with pictures by using verticals with horizontals, small column widths
with large column widths or dark and light photographs. Further, the editor can achieve contrast through
color by displaying black type with color boxes, pictures and heads.
3. Rhythm
By using the rhythm concept, the editor tries to get the reader to move from one element to another
element on the page. Rhythm is achieved in newspaper makeup by staggering headlines, stories and
pictures on the page.
4. Unity
The unity concept of newspaper makeup is used to tie the page together; therefore, the page is not divided
into one, two or more sections. A page that lacks unity is called a paneled page. You can avoid paneled
pages by crossing the column gutters (space between columns) with headlines and pictures in the middle
areas of the page.
5. Harmony
The harmony concept is used to give a newspaper a standard appearance from day to day. Harmony
generally refers to typographic harmony. This means using one typeface for body type and a contrasting
typeface for cutlines. Headlines should have the same typeface as the body type and maybe varied by
weight and the use of italics on occasion.

Figure 2 - Newspaper nameplates.

ELEMENTS OF NEWSPAPER MAKEUP
Makeup creates recognition of a newspaper. A good editor varies the makeup in each issue, so the readers
are not bored with the newspaper. On the other hand, each page will resemble the previous editions
enough so the reader can immediately identify it.

1. Nameplate
The nameplate should be simple in design, attractive, and in harmony with the character of the paper. Its
type should either harmonize or contrast with the headline type. The nameplate can combine type and
artwork together. The artwork however, should not make the nameplate jumbled and hard to read.
The nameplate can be made to float on the page. Although a nameplate that runs the entire width of the
page can be made to float, a floating nameplate usually occupies two or three columns and is placed
anywhere in the upper third of the page.
2. Flags
A flag of the newspaper is a display used by a newspaper to indicate section pages or special pages, such
as editorial, sports and family pages. Just like nameplates, a flag should not dominate its page and should
appear above the fold. Flags can also be floated. (NOTE: Some authorities maintain that a flag is the same
as a nameplate and identify a section head as a "section logo.")
3. Masthead
A masthead of the newspaper is often referred to, incorrectly, as a nameplate. A masthead is a statement
that should appear in every edition to give information about the publication.
These regulations also require that the masthead contain the following information: l Name of
publication, Date of issue, Frequency of publication, Issue number, Subscription price (if applicable) l
Name and address of the publisher , Second-class mailing imprint.
For second-class mailing, postal regulations require a masthead to be within the first five pages of the
newspaper.
The masthead of CE or funded newspapers must be printed in type not smaller than six point. Additional
information on mastheads maybe found in PA Regs or Ship or Station Newspaper/Civilian Enterprise
(CE) Publications, NAVPUBINST 5600.42 series.
4. Headlines
Headlines, or simply heads, contribute to all five concepts of newspaper design - balance, contrast,
rhythm, unity and harmony.
The headline for one story should be separated from that of another. Heads that appear side by side
(called 'Tombstones") could be read as one head and confuse the reader. Tombstoning also prevents each
head from gaining its share of attention.
When headlines and pictures are used together, they should be placed so the reader is not confused by
their positions. You should not place a picture between a headline and a story, because the reader might
begin reading the cutline thinking it is the first paragraph of the story.
Heads of the same column width should not be placed lower on the page than a smaller one, or higher on
the page than a larger one. This does not mean that the bottom of the page cannot contain a large
multicolumn head. It only means that heads of the same width should decrease in point size as they
descend the page.
Do not run stories out from under their heads. This creates a readability problem by confusing the reader
about where to find and finish reading the rest of the story.
A story can be wrapped (to continue a story from one column to the next) under its main head, or lead, to
achieve variation. A story is always turned to the right from its main part. A turn running above the
headline of the story could confuse the reader and cause the individual to abandon the item.
A story requiring a "jump," or continuation, to another page should be split in midsentence, never at a
period of a paragraph. For example, "(Continued on page , col. ) will direct the reader adequately. The
jumped portion should carry a brief head, or key word, taken from the main head to identify it as a
continuation. The "jump head" should be keyed to the same type style and face, although it seldom will
be in the same type size, as the original headline. Never jump a story on a hyphenated word, or carry over
the last line of a paragraph.
5. Pictures/Photo
Readability studies have shown that pictures are one of the most popular elements in a newspaper. For
that reason alone, important pictures should be large and positioned in a manner that maximizes their
display.

Pictures of two-column widths or more should be placed on a page so they stand or hang from something
that gives them support. A picture can stand on a headline, another picture or the bottom of the page. A
picture can hang from a headline, another picture or the top of the page. A picture of two-column widths
or more should not float in copy, but a one-column-wide picture or smaller can float in copy.

Pictures and headlines that are not related should be separated by more than a rule, if the possibility exists
that, when placed together, they are humorous or in bad taste.

Avoid any clashing items. For example, do not place an accident story next to a mortuary advertisement.
(Discuss the placement of advertisements with your editor or the CE newspaper publisher.)
If you run two pictures, two boxes or a picture and a box side by side, except in cases where the subjects
are related, they tend to cancel each other out. It is best to separate unrelated artwork with body type.
Reader's eyes have a tendency to follow the line of sight of people in pictures. Therefore, if people in a
picture look off the page, readers will tend to look off the page. To prevent the reader from doing this, the
main subjects in pictures should look straight ahead or into the page. This also holds true for pictures
showing action. The motion should go toward the center of the page whenever possible. This reader
tendency can be used to your advantage. The line of sight and motion can be used to guide the reader's
eye through a page.
Try to avoid running pictures on the horizontal fold of a newspaper, because the area along the fold
becomes distorted once the newspaper has been folded.
Do not give a picture more display space than it deserves, especially a "mug shot" (portrait-type, close-up
photograph of an individual). Mug shots can float in copy, but it is best if they stand on or hang from
something. If a mug shot floats, it is best to float it within a sentence in a paragraph. Mug shots should be
accompanied by at least a name line for identification. By omitting the name line, the reader is forced into
trying to identify the individual in the picture.
"Thumbnails" also are used in making up newspaper pages. The term refers to half-column mug shots. A
thumbnail is best used when it looks into the story or directly out of the page. A name line, in most cases,
should also be used with thumbnails.

Newspaper Format
The three formats used in ship and station newspapers are full format, tabloid and magazine.
These formats are shown in figure 8-5 and are described in the following text.
a. Full format
A full-format (also known as broadsheet) newspaper is one that measures 16 or 17 inches wide and
21 to 22 inches deep. A fill-format newspaper can be made to have five columns, six columns, seven and
one-half columns, eight columns or nine columns.
b. Tabloid
A tabloid newspaper is about half the size of a full-format newspaper. It measures 10 to 12 inches
wide and 14 to 18 inches deep. A tabloid format newspaper can have two, three, four, five, five and one-
half and six columns.

Newspaper design
Other important considerations (beyond the news gathering, news writing and copy editing
aspects) are the techniques for putting the material together so that your paper emphasizes what
is important. You will also need to know what makes an attractive appearance and draws and holds the
reader’s eye. All of this is done through good layout and makeup designed to achieve the best overall
appearance and style of the publication and to allow the reader to obtain the maximum information in the
shortest time. Layout is the planning of the position and page that each piece of copy or art will occupy in
your publication. This includes your choosing the styles and sizes of headlines desired, the kinds and
sizes of type to be used and deciding how to use them, and indicating these plans on the layout sheets.
Makeup is normally the execution of that layout by the publisher (the compositor), although sometimes
the terms layout and makeup are used interchangeably. For instance, the name “makeup editor” is used on
some newspapers instead of “layout editor.” THE DUMMY Indicating on the layout sheet where each
element will be placed (sometimes called dummying or roughing in) may be done as each segment of
material is forwarded to the publisher. Some publishers will even give you rough proofs of galley type,
headlines and art and let you make a paste-up dummy on a layout sheet. Paste-up dummies ensure a high
degree of accuracy in page making.

Whites, grays and blacks

A newspaper page is made up of varying degrees of whites, grays and blacks. Some pages may contain
other colors. A good editor strives for relative balance of colors on a page and will not let any color
dominate the page. You will not have any problems with white pages, black pages or any other colored
pages; your concern is staying away from gray pages.
There are many ways to relieve grayness, or gray-out, which is created by large areas of body type. One
way is to use multicolumn pictures to break up columns of type. Another way is to use thumbnail
photographs.
Type also can be used effectively to relieve grayness. To breakup gray areas in a long story, you can set
selected paragraphs in boldface type, if used sparingly. Another method of breaking up long gray stories
is to use boldface subheads set about two points larger than your body type size. A third method of using
type to break up grayness is to use boldface, all-cap lead-ins. This method is particularly effective in
matter set in wider measures. In two-column matter, the first three to five words of the paragraph
containing a lead-in can be set in boldface and all caps, and in one-column matter, the first one to three
words of the paragraph can be set in boldface and all caps.
The paragraphs to be set in any of these boldfaced methods should be the paragraphs that introduce a new
element into the story or ones that contain information of more than usual interest. Two paragraphs using
the same boldfaced method should not be run side by side because they tend to cancel each other out.
Note that the use of boldface type is not favored by the editors of contemporary newspapers as much as
by the editors with traditional leanings. "Modem" editors rely on the use of different design concepts to
eliminate large gray areas on their pages and consequently have little use for boldface type,
except possibly as subheads.
Other useful devices in breaking up grayness are initial letters kickers and hammerheads and
sandwiches. A sandwich is a device for handling "reefers". It is a small, sideless box made with
the same rule used for regular boxes. The reefer type in the sandwich should be set in boldface and
not be indented. No headline is needed and it should be brief, containing not more than two or
three lines.
The sandwich should be placed about 2 1/2 inches deep into the story. Presumably, this practice
gives the reader enough time to become interested enough in the subject being addressed to want
the related information being offered. The use of the sandwich assumes the reader will
immediately turn to the related story, read it and then return to the original story and continue
reading below the sandwich.
Special effects can be obtained with special art, such as boxes and ornaments (art borders around
individual stories, announcements and ads or the entire page). These devices are also effective gray
breakers but should be used sparingly, so their use does not create a cluttered effect. In using boxes,
you can indent a story on all sides and use a box of white space all around the story. You can also
indent on all sides of a story and then use a ruled box. Dingbats, once in vogue, are now considered
old-fashioned and are shunned by modem editors. White space provides margins to frame your
page. Side margins should be the same width, but bottom margins should be about one-fourth wider
than your top margins to give your page a lifted look White space is also used to give breathing
room around headlines and pictures in much the same manner as margins frame the page. However,
you should make an effort to avoid the appearance of trapped white space. White space should run
to the outside of the page.
Picture story layout
The picture story layout is a special challenge to a layout editor. A good picture story is a
logical, well- organized, self-contained unit in which each part has a specific function.
The format used to layout the picture story depends on space limitations and what you, as the
layout artist, consider the most attractive arrangement. With an imaginative photographer, the
number of interesting picture stories your publication can produce are unlimited. Once you have
been provided with a variety of interesting, action-packed pictures suitable for reproduction, the
layout is up to you. Let your experience and good judgment be your guide in determining the
arrangement of pictures, headlines, cutlines, text and borders.
A good picture story layout can add immeasurable y to the interest and attractiveness of your
publication. Like feature stories, picture stories can be made up in advance and used as either
regular attractions or to spice up occasional issues.
In the following text, we cover the major points of assembling a picture story.

Number of pictures
The number of pictures required to make up a picture story depends on the importance and
complexity of the subject. However, an odd number of photographs should be used in a double-
truck layout. The term double truck, also called a centerfold, is used for a two-page layout made
up as one page, with the "gutter," or normal margin between the two pages, eliminated.