The way journalists report is constantly changing, but the roots of reporting will always remain. According to the authors, pg. 109 in Principles of Convergent Journalism, “The basics of good reporting remain the same, even as certain tasks and techniques differ across media.” The basic principles of journalism that are constant are accuracy, attention to detail, compelling information, correct attribution, correct grammar, spelling, word usage, and punctuation, according to the authors pg. 110. These are the main aspects that are constant through all areas of journalism.
There are however differences throughout the mediums in journalism. Television is one medium that must emphasize key aspects in reporting. Television is about showing the viewer what they are seeing through live footage. They have to be visually stimulating to the viewers. This is perhaps why television newsrooms are often times much larger than other mediums in journalism. The reporter not only has to present her or himself well, but hey have to make sure their voice and speech will appeal to their viewers.
Not all stories may be meant for television, there are certain places for each different kind of story in journalism. “This underscores the notion that one medium is not necessarily better than another but that some stories are best told in a specific medium”, according to the authors on pg. 115. Television visuals also help with writing the story itself as you can relate to the visuals you have captured. Writing the story for broadcast is a little different from writing for print because it has to be easier to read. “Broadcast style differs from print primarily in the need to make the copy easier to read, say, and understand”, according to the authors pg. 123.
Broadcast reporting takes a certain skill, and the reporter is a key component, but not all stories can be told in that way. Each story has its own niche.
