COM 201 INTRODUCTION TO NEWS WRITING
AND REPORTING
INTRODUCTION TO NEWS WRITING AND REPORTING (COM201)
TOPIC TEN : CRIME NEWS DESK
INTRODUCTION
In the US, the police beat which includes the fire department, is considered an entry
level job. Most reporters move on to other beats after a few years of covering crime
desk news. But in Malaysia, most large media organizations will place new reporters to
the general desk first before placing them elsewhere.
Edna Buchanan, former police reporter, The Miami Herald: “I have never understood
young reporters who considered covering the cops the least desirable beat. The police
beat is all about people, what makes them tick, what makes them become heroes or
homicidal maniacs. It has it all: greed, sex, violence, comedy and tragedy.”
CRIME STORIES
1. Access
You should first check with the police officer in charge for the day and ask for the listing
of all crimes recorded by police for the day. In the US, the daily police log is called, the
“blotter”. Here, in Malaysia, at some big police stations, they have daily morning press
conferences to tell what crimes were committed for the last 24 hours. And a special
press conference if the incident is serious and cannot be delayed in publicizing it to the
public.
Although the incident reports contain the names of the officers who filed them, many
police departments with a public information officer do not allow reporters to talk to the
arresting officers.
If you are a good reporter, you will want to find out if the suspect has a previous criminal
record for related charges. Usually, if someone has been convicted of a crime, a court
record is public and available. Universities withhold names on crime records.Records of
juvenile offenders are also withheld because they are under 18. Most media have
policies to withhold names of juveniles. Crime scenes are not accessible to the media.
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Faculty of Communication & Media Studies SHAFEZAH ABDUL WAHAB 2019
COM 201 INTRODUCTION TO NEWS WRITING
AND REPORTING
2. Use of Names
Most media withhold the names of suspects in crime stories until they have been
charged formally with the crime. Being arrested means only that someone has been
stopped for questioning in a crime. The person becomes official suspect after charges
are filed in a court,
usually at a hearing called an “arraignment”. Most media also withhold names of crime
victims to protect their privacy. When names are used in crime stories, always get the
full name, including the middle initial and double check the spelling.
3. Wording of Accusations
Remember that all people are innocent until they are proved guilty in court or until they
plead guilty. When a suspect is arrested, the person is not officially charged with
anything. A person can be arrested after an officer gets a warrant or on suspicion of a
crime. But the police cannot charge anyone with a crime; a member of the district
attorney’s office must file the charge officially with the court.
As a result, you must be careful with wording, so you don’t convict a person
erroneously. Most media wait until the person has been charged with the crime, except
in sensational cases when the arrest is important news.
If you are writing about an arrest before the official charge, do not say “Lim Bak Weng
was arrested for robbing the bank: (that implies guilt). Say, “Lim Bak Weng was arrested
in connection with the bank robbery”.
If you are writing about the suspect after charges have been filed, say “Lim Bak Weng
was charged with bank robbery” or “Lim Bak Weng was arrested on a charge of bank
robbery”.
Be careful when using the word “alleged”. You should say, “Police accused Lim Bak
Weng of robbing the bank” or “Police said Lim Bak Weng robbed the bank.”
Unless the court rules that the suspect is guilty, there is no proof that a crime has
occurred, the “alleged rape” is accurate.
Also be careful of the word “accused”. A person is accused of, not with, a crime. You
should not say “accused bank robber Lim Bak Weng”. Instead say, “Lim Bak Weng,
accused of the bank robbery.”
4. Attribution
Make sure you attribute all accusatory information and much of the information you
received secondhand (not by direct observation). Factual information does not need
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Faculty of Communication & Media Studies SHAFEZAH ABDUL WAHAB 2019
COM 201 INTRODUCTION TO NEWS WRITING
AND REPORTING
attribution. Eg. The location of the crime or that charge a person is accused with. To
reduce the use of attribution after every sentence, you can use an overview attribution.
5. Newspaper Archives
Check with newspaper clips/cuttings in library or online archives for background
information. However, always check for more up to date information.
6. Guidelines for Reporting Crime Stories
i. Victims – full names, ages, addresses and occupations.
ii. Suspects – full names, ages and addresses. Avoid mentioning race or ethnic
background unless it is crucial to story or to a description of a suspect.
iii. Cause of fatalities or injuries – also describe the injuries, where taken and
current condition. In stories involving property, specify the causes and
extent of damage. iv. Location of incident – specific information for a graphic.
iv. Time of incident.
v. What happened – understand the sequence of events and any unusual
circumstances.
vi. Arrests and charges filed.
vii. Eyewitness accounts – be careful about using accusations, Always check with
official sources.
TYPES OF CRIME STORIES
MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS
Vehicle accident stories usually are hard news stories. Basic guidelines:
i. Speed, destination and directions of vehicles and exact locations at the time of
the accident.
ii. Cause of accident, arrests, citations and damages.
iii. Victims’ use of required equipment such as seat belts and bicycle or motorcycle
helmets.
iv. Weather related information, if relevant.
v. Alcohol related information, if relevant.
vi. Rescue attempts or acts of heroism.
vii. Lead – fatalities and injuries.
viii. Structure – inverted pyramid.
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Faculty of Communication & Media Studies SHAFEZAH ABDUL WAHAB 2019
COM 201 INTRODUCTION TO NEWS WRITING
AND REPORTING
BURGLARIES AND ROBBERIES
A burglary involves entry into a building with intent to commit any type of crime; robbery
involves stealing with violence or a threat against people; If you are away and a person
enters your home and steals your property, that is a burglary. If you are asleep upstairs
and the person is downstairs stealing the player, that is still a burglary. But if the person
threatens you with force, that is robbery. A burglary always involves a place and can
involve violence against a person; a robbery must involve violence or threats against a
person.
i. who
ii. what
iii. when
iv. where
v. why
vi. how
vii. what was taken and the value of the goods
viii. Types of weapons used (in robberies)
ix. how entry was made
x. similar circumstances (frequency of crime or any odd conditions)
xi. lead – deaths and or injuries
xii. if none, other information available
xiii. structure – inverted pyramid if short.Hourglass, if lengthy.
HOMICIDES
Homicide is the legal term for killing. Murder is the term for premeditated homicide.
Manslaughter is homicide without premeditation. A person can be arrested on charges
of murder, but he is not a murderer until convicted of the crime. Do not call someone a
murderer until then. Also don’t say someone was murdered unless authorities have
established that the victim was murdered (in a premeditated act of killing) or until a court
determines that.Say the person was slain or killed.
i. Weapon (specific description, such .38-calibre revolver)
ii. Clues and motives (from police)
iii.Specific wounds iv. Official cause of death (from coroner or police)
iv. Circumstances of suspect’s arrest (result of tip or investigation, perhaps at the
scene
v. Lots of details, from relatives, neighbors, friends, officials, eyewitnesses and your
own observations at the crime scene.
vi. Lead – fatalities. viii.Structure – inverted pyramid.
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Faculty of Communication & Media Studies SHAFEZAH ABDUL WAHAB 2019
COM 201 INTRODUCTION TO NEWS WRITING
AND REPORTING
FIRE STORIES
Although fire stories in the US, police can provide information. In Malaysia, you have to
approach the fire services and rescue department director, officer or personnel for
information, unless it is arson or other crimes and involves the police.
i. Time fire started, time fire department responded, time fire was brought under
control.
ii. Number of fire stations responding, number of fire brigades at scene.
iii. Evacuation, if any, and where people were taken.
iv. Injuries and fatalities (make sure you ask if any firefighters were injured or killed)
v. Cause (ask if arson is suspected – intentional setting of fire), how and where fire
started.
vi. Who discovered the fire, extent of damage, insurance coverage.
vii. Description of building.
viii. Presence and condition of smoke detectors or sprinkler system (especially in
public building or apartment building, if city requires them).
ix. Fire inspection record, fire code violations (usually for a follow up story,
especially in public buildings).
x. Lead – fatalities and or injuries. xi. Structure – inverted pyramid.
DISASTERS, WEATHER AND TRAGEDIES
Introduction
1. Reporting Techniques
Before you venture out of the newsroom to report on a disaster, you should find out a
few facts and take emergency precautions and supplies. In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for
example, The Sun-Sentinel has a detailed plan for coverage of disasters, particularly
hurricanes. The plan spells out the responsibilities of each editor; assignments for
reporters (hospitals, areas of the city, agencies); and telephone numbers of police, fire
and rescue agencies, hospitals, utilities and other places crucial to disaster coverage.
In the event of a disaster, you should follow these basic procedures before leaving your
office or home:
• Check a map to see what routes lead to the scene.
• Find out if temporary headquarters have been established for officials and media.
• Take plenty of change to make telephone calls. If you have electronic equipment
– a notebook computer or cellular telephone – make sure you have the right e-
mail addresses and phone numbers.
• Take proper clothing, if necessary: boots, rain gear, a change of clothes (in case
of flood coverage) and emergency rations – food and beverage.
• Make sure you have a full tank of gas for your vehicle.
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Faculty of Communication & Media Studies SHAFEZAH ABDUL WAHAB 2019
COM 201 INTRODUCTION TO NEWS WRITING
AND REPORTING
• Take plenty of notebooks, pens and even pencils, which are better than pens or
electronic gear in rainy weather. Don’t rely on tape recorders or notebook
computers at the scene of a disaster.
When you are covering the breaking news of a plane crash or earthquake or you are in
the middle of a major flood, the sources of information are disorganized and unreliable.
The news changes momentarily. The death toll often changes radically within the first
few hours. Chaos reigns. You get the best information you can from eyewitnesses and
officials at the scene. And then you check back repeatedly.
How do you know what to ask? You always need to ask the basics: who, what, when,
where, why and how.
Think statistics. You need specifics: numbers of people killed and injured or evacuated.
Think human interest. How did people cope? How did they survive? What are their
losses? What are their tragedies?
Think about narrative storytelling techniques for sidebars. How would you reconstruct
the incident – what was the chronology? Try to gather information about the sequence
of events if the story involves such disasters as explosions, plane crashes and other
events that are not acts of nature. However, even with tornadoes, earthquakes, floods
and hurricanes, it helps to get the sequence of events – specific times and events
occurred, the minutes involved in destruction.
Think about helpful information for empowerment boxes. Where can people get
information, donate blood, volunteer their services and so on?
a. Sidebars
Sidebars are not synonymous with soft news. Many sidebars are human interest stories,
but they also can be hard-news stories or informational self-help stories. A sidebar is
basically a story that gives the reader some new information or more information than
the mainbar can provide. The mainbar in a disaster story is comprehensive; each
sidebar should be very narrowly focused on one topic. The mainbar can allude to
information that is in the sidebar, such as a quote from an eyewitness, but the sidebar
should not be repetitious.
• Helpfulness
• Human interest
• Perspective
• The location
• Other angles
• Analysis
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Faculty of Communication & Media Studies SHAFEZAH ABDUL WAHAB 2019
COM 201 INTRODUCTION TO NEWS WRITING
AND REPORTING
b. Graphics
Almost all disaster stories are accompanied by graphics – maps, illustrations, charts –
to help the reader visualize where, when and how. But only a few newspapers have
graphic reporters. The job of supplying information to the graphic designer or artist falls
to the news reporter.
c. Disaster Basics
Whether you are covering a natural disaster, such as an earthquake or another kind,
such as a plane crash or explosion, you need to gather some basic facts. With the
exception of the five W’s, which come first, the rest of the items are not listed in order of
importance.
• Who
• What and why
• When and where
• Weather
• Where people go
• Hospitals
• Disaster scene
• Estimated cost of damages and property loss
• Eyewitness accounts
• Government agencies involved
• Consumer information
• Red Crescent and shelter
• Safety precautions
• Roads
• Survivors
• Victims
• Crime
• Perspective
• Background
• Medical examiner
d. Death Tolls
In disasters, dealing with numbers of victims is difficult, because they change
constantly. The first day you can report the facts, saying “at least…” or use the words
“an estimated” with the specific number. The following day your lead can state the death
toll has increased or you can just write the new death toll. You don’t need to correct
previous information. Readers know you haven’t made an error; you are just giving the
facts as they become available.
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Faculty of Communication & Media Studies SHAFEZAH ABDUL WAHAB 2019
COM 201 INTRODUCTION TO NEWS WRITING
AND REPORTING
e. Follow-up Stories
All major disasters require follow-up stories for many days. The second-day story
should attempt to explain the cause, if that was not clear the first day. If the cause still
isn’t clear, you can lead with what officials are investigating. If there isn’t any new
information, you can describe cleanup attempts at the scene. The death toll should
remain in the lead, especially if it has changed from earlier reports, or should be in the
first few paragraphs.
Other follow-up stories may focus on rescue efforts, human interest elements, costs of
rebuilding or any other related news.
In follow-up stories, you still need to mention what happened – when and where the
plane crashed, when the earthquake occurred, and so on. In successive stories, that
information can go a little bit lower. But it should be high in the story on the second
day.
f. Airplane Crashes
Almost all disaster-related information listed earlier also applies to an airplane crash.
One of your first concerns should be the number of dead or injured people. Initially you
will get only estimates, and most likely they will be wrong. But some accounting of the
death and injury toll should be in the lead. Although an actual cause may not be known
for months, ask anyway because you need some ideas.
You should also seek the names, ages and hometowns of victims and survivors. In
major plane crashes, the list of passengers and their status usually is not released for a
day or more, until the relatives have been notified. The names and status of the pilots
and crew members may be available sooner.
In addition to getting accounts from eyewitnesses, reactions from relatives or people at
the airport, and other human interest stories, make sure you get the following specifics:
name of the airline and flight number of the plane; the type of plane and number of
engines; especially for small planes; the origination and final destination sites. Don’t
forget the perspective; how many plane crashes of this type have occurred in recent
years or how this crash ranks in severity.
g. Weather Stories
Not all-weather stories involve disaster coverage. Weather stories can be news or
features about prolonged hot, cold, wet or dry spells or just a statistical roundup of rain
or snow totals for the month or year. They also can be features about interesting
aspects of the weather and the ways it affects people. When a major snowstorm or
thunderstorm hits an area, a weather story is expected. Ideas for weather stories:
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Faculty of Communication & Media Studies SHAFEZAH ABDUL WAHAB 2019
COM 201 INTRODUCTION TO NEWS WRITING
AND REPORTING
• Unusual patterns in weather for your area
• Effects of weather on pets, businesses, people’s moods, health
• Insect infestation because of weather patterns
• People whose occupations force them to work outside during very hot or cold
spell
• Effects of snow removal on city budgets
• Excessive costs of air conditioning or heating on your school or city during hot or
cold spells
• Features about upcoming seasons
• Consumer stories or sidebars about coping with extreme heat, cold, tornadoes,
hurricanes, floods, haze, earthquakes.
Include these elements in all-weather stories:
• Forecast
• Unusual angles
• Human interest
• Warnings
• Records
• Terms
INTERVIEWS WITH GRIEF-STRICKEN
PEOPLE
You have a list of people who died. Your editor wants you to call the families of victims
to get biographical data and reactions. What do you do? There are sensitive ways to
cover grief. And it’s difficult, if not impossible, to avoid dealing with such situations if
you are going to be a newspaper or magazine reporter. So, here are some suggestions
about how you can cover such stories.
i. What if the person hangs up on me?
• Call back and say that you have been disconnected
• Try calling someone else
• Call a neighbour and ask if he knows someone in the house who might talk to
you
• Call the house and ask if anyone could talk to you
• Give your card and ask if you could talk at another time
ii. What questions do I ask?
• Don’t ask - how do you feel about your son’s death?
• Ask specific questions about what the person was like,etc
• Ask for memories about the person
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Faculty of Communication & Media Studies SHAFEZAH ABDUL WAHAB 2019
COM 201 INTRODUCTION TO NEWS WRITING
AND REPORTING
iii. What is the first thing I should say?
• Introduce yourself and state you purpose.
• You might also express your condolences
iv. What if I start to cry?
• You can be emphatic and even a little teary.
• Try not to weep
• Be sincere
• Do not fake your emotions
v. What if the person I’m interviewing starts to cry?
• Stop interviewing and ask if you can get the person a glass of water or tissue
• Be quiet for a while
• You might ask if the person would prefer you to come back another time
vi. What if I say something insensitive without knowing it?
• Apologize.
vii. Why do I have to interview people in times of grief?
• These types of stories make a news event more significant and real to readers
• People relate to other people, not to vague generalities
• Respect their needs because some people will talk to you, some will not
- end
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