The mission of any journalist is to collect information and present facts in the most attractive form for the target audience. In changeable modern world journalists use research methods and data from social and behavioral disciplines to collect and analyze data. Which?
They resort to computer software methods of data analysis. They collect information in databases, analyze publications of other authors, including graphical tables and statistical charts, take into account the demographic factor, analyze the geographical display of system information. The methods of collecting information in journalism are quite diverse.
General principles and methods of information gathering in journalism
The tasks of a journalist include not only the accumulation of information, but also the ability to highlight the most important points. He must formulate, organize and interpret the available information. That is, not only to receive and publish, but also to make sure that the material is perceived by the target audience. The role of journalism is now so multifaceted that it forces you to constantly be in a multitasking mode of managing, processing and analyzing data, while taking care of the maximum efficiency of the process.
Science journalism
Science journalism aims to include data collection, coverage of science and the search for truth. Scientific journalism is characterized by methods of collecting and processing information, including objectivity and an analytical approach to the material received. Some publications are based on the analysis of previously published data. The range of acceptable methods of collecting information in journalism is quite wide, and exclusive data can be used, provided that they are open to the public. One of the most popular sources of information among journalists is specialized Internet sites where collected data is stored, the owners of which in most cases welcome this approach, as it increases traffic to scientific sites.
Methods of collecting and processing information of political observers
There are two levels of journalism in covering political events. One of them is a presentation of material aimed at the average consumer of news, simply put, the layman. The target audience of a political observer of the next level is a potential participant in political events in the country and in the world, for whom news is not just an exchange of information, but a kind of ritual. Any election campaign can serve as a classic example, because during this period the percentage of people who believe that their choice will change the course of history increases many times. It is this audience that will not only forgive a journalist or political commentator for a harsh tone or profanity, but is also more likely to give preference to them. In this case, the journalist can operate with publicly available data, the main thing is to present them in a spectacular interpretation.
The Benefits of Some Information Gathering Methods in Journalism
Journalism is aimed at resolving conflicts between interest groups, based on an objective assessment of their impact and ability to influence the result. Most of the methods of collecting and processing information in journalism mainly include the analysis and forecast of electoral behavior, which, in fairness, it should be noted, are almost always controversial. However, interest in scientific news and political reviews is steadily growing, which is certainly the merit of journalists who take into account current trends based on sociological methods and poll results.
At the stage of developing the concept of a future work, a journalist needs to decide on the object of study. In this capacity, a specific everyday situation, and a problem that requires careful consideration, and certain social phenomena, and people's activities, etc. can act. In all cases, the journalist is involved in the cognitive activity of collecting and analyzing factual data. For the successful implementation of this stage of work, a journalist needs to perfectly master various methods of collecting information, since the content richness of the future work depends on the quality of the collected material. Therefore, in journalistic practice, a whole arsenal of methods for collecting information is used.
The journalist, before undertaking an investigation, accurately determines the relationship between the chosen topic and the problem, classifying them. And the more complex the object of knowledge, the more adequate methods of studying it will be required. In the very general meaning method- a way or a way to achieve a goal, a certain way ordered activity.
All methods can be conditionally divided into two large groups: the first of them are used in the collection of empirical data: observation, experiment, interview, etc., and the second - in the analysis of the information received. Here you can name the classification, grouping, typology, etc.
One of the productive methods of A.A. Tertychny calls "a change of profession." We believe that this type of work can be attributed to the method of participant observation or experiment.
The analysis of the considered literature allows us to say that there is no clear distinction between the methods of obtaining information and its sources. So, M.V. Grigoryan, in our opinion, there is a confusion of concepts: “... the sources with which the journalist works. It:
- * Surveillance.
- * Reading and studying documents, as well as books, magazines and newspapers.
- * Press conferences.
- * An experiment that journalists resort to quite rarely, as it requires a lot of time and energy.
- * Interviewing (individual and mass - then this is already a survey conducted most often through a questionnaire). All these sources, as a rule, are involved in journalistic investigation” [Grigoryan, URL: http://www.twirpx.com/file/123859 (Date of access: 15.04.13)].
All of the above is mentioned in the theoretical literature both under the guise of sources and as methods of investigation. In practice, analyzing the methods and sources of obtaining information in investigative films by A.V. Mamontov, we are convinced that it is quite difficult to draw a line between them. For example, an interview as a process is rather a method of obtaining information, and the content of the interview is a source of information. However, it would still be more logical to consider the person giving the interview as the source of information.
Among the traditional methods, the method of observation is distinguished . At its core, writes G.V. Lazutina, lies "a person's ability to perceive the subject-sensory concreteness of the world in the process of audiovisual contacts with it" [Lazutina, URL: http://evartist.narod.ru/text10/09.htm (Accessed: 26.04.13)]. Journalistic observation always has a purposeful and clearly defined character. “It is the deliberateness of perception and awareness of tasks that allows you to look - and see” [Lazutina, URL: http://evartist.narod.ru/text10/09.htm (Date of access: 26.04.13)]. The authors of the collection “A Journalist in Search of Information” note that “when engaging in observation, a journalist should also remember about possible objective and subjective difficulties.<…>People can change the tactics of their behavior if they find out that they are being watched” [Journalist in search of information, 2000, p. 9].
Based on these features of observation, theorists in the field of sociojournalism expressed the opinion that “as an independent method, observation is best used in such studies that do not require representative data, and also in cases where information cannot be obtained by any other methods” [ Journalist in search of information, 2000, p. ten].
Systematic observation presupposes the journalist's focus on a particular situation in certain periods, while non-systematic observation presupposes spontaneity in choosing the observed phenomenon.
The position of the observer in non-participant observation is as follows: a journalist, as a rule, is outside the observed situation and does not enter into contacts with the participants in the event [Journalism and sociology, 1995, p. 111]. He quite consciously takes a neutral position, trying not to interfere in the course of what is happening. This type of observation is most often used to describe the social atmosphere, for example, around elections, various public actions, socio-economic reforms, etc.
Participant observation involves the participation of a journalist in the situation itself. He goes for it consciously, changing, for example, his profession or “infiltrating” a certain social group in order to recognize the object from the inside. "Change of profession" is possible in cases where the journalist is sure that by his unprofessional or unskilled actions he will not cause either physical or moral damage to people. For example, it is contraindicated for media employees to introduce themselves as doctors, lawyers, judges, public service employees, etc. Such prohibitions are stipulated both by the relevant norms of journalistic ethics and by certain articles of the Criminal Code. Here are the thoughts of the journalist N. Nikitin on this subject: “The rules of the game with active observation become too important to allow oneself not to know them or not to remember them. From the old days ... one rule: a journalist cannot pretend to be a professional whose activity is closely connected with life, physical and moral health, and the material well-being of people. The main rule: forget that you are a journalist. Here, truly and above all in front of yourself, become who you say you are. Information cannot be obtained by any other methods” [Nikitin, 1997, p. 25].
The method of experiment in journalism is often identified with the method of participant observation: “The experiment is understood as a method of research based on controlling the behavior of an object with the help of a number of factors influencing it, the control over the action of which is in the hands of the researcher” [Journalist in search of information, 2000, p. 12].
In the experiment, the object, according to B.Ya. Misonzhikova and A.A. Yurkov, is a means for creating an artificial situation. This is done so that the journalist can test his hypotheses in practice, "lose" some everyday circumstances that would allow him to better know the object under study. By participating in an experiment, a journalist has the right to intervene in the situation, influencing its participants, managing them and making some decisions [Misonzhikov, 2003, p. 116].
The researchers pay attention to the fact that “during the experiment, the journalist does not wait for people, certain officials, entire services to reveal themselves spontaneously, i.e. random, natural. This disclosure is deliberately caused, purposefully "organized" by them themselves... An experiment is an observation accompanied by the observer's intervention in the processes and phenomena being studied, under certain conditions - an artificial challenge, a conscious "provocation" of these latter" [Misonzhikov, 2003, p. 117].
Thus, the experiment is connected with the creation of an artificial impulse, designed to reveal certain aspects of the object under study. A journalist can conduct an experiment on himself by infiltrating the social group he needs, become a "dummy figure", etc. At the same time, he not only influences the situation, but also seeks to involve all persons of interest to him in the experiment.
It is advisable to conduct an experiment in journalistic practice only in cases where the correspondent is faced with the task of deeper penetration into life, when he needs to identify the true behavioral reactions of people with the help of various influencing factors, and finally, when it is necessary to test hypotheses about a particular object of social reality. .
The term "interview" comes from the English. "interview", i.e. conversation. Note that this is both an independent journalistic genre and a method within another genre. This emphasizes the complex nature of the investigative journalism genre.
In an informal interview, questions are arranged according to a different principle. Due to the fact that this method is focused on the deep knowledge of the object, it has a smaller content specification. Questions are determined by the topic of the conversation, the atmosphere of the conversation, the scope of the problems discussed, etc. Scientist S.A. Belanovsky writes about the appointment of these two types of interviews: “A standardized interview is designed to obtain the same type of information from each respondent. The answers of all respondents should be comparable and categorizable... The non-standardized interview includes a wide range of survey types that do not meet the requirement of comparability of questions and answers. When using a non-standardized interview, no attempt is made to obtain the same types of information from each respondent, and the individual is not an accounting statistical unit in them" [Belanovsky, 1993, p. 86].
Scientist M.N. Kim also distinguishes between interviews according to the degree of intensity: short (from 10 to 30 minutes), medium (sometimes lasting for hours), sometimes they are called “clinical”, and focused, conducted according to a certain methodology, since they are mostly focused on studying the processes of perception and in their duration can be limited only by the objectives and goals of the study [Kim, 2001, p. 75]. For example, a journalist needs to identify certain socio-psychological aspects of readers' perception of certain texts on the election campaign. To achieve this goal, a focus group is created, a moderator (leader of the focus group) is elected, a program and a research procedure are drawn up, and finally, work with a focus group is launched according to the established program.
biographical method , used in journalism, borrowed from related fields of knowledge: literary criticism, ethnography, history, sociology, psychology. This method was first used by American scientists in the 1920s. It was then that the beginning of large-scale research on Polish peasants in Europe and America was initiated in the USA, carried out by the Chicago sociologist V.I. Thomas and his Polish colleague F. Znaniecki [Biographical method, 1994, p. 5].
In journalism, the biographical method is used in a form adapted to professional needs. With its help, various life-historical testimonies, observations and memories of eyewitnesses of certain events, family-historical documents (letters, diaries, family records, descriptions, etc.) are collected. Due to the fact that many social processes are sometimes inaccessible for direct study, journalists turn to the testimonies and stories of members of various social groups. The witness is speaking incognito. In journalistic material, he may be presented under a fictitious name, or he may appear as a kind of well-wisher who provided the editorial office with relevant information. Thanks to these testimonies, the journalist recreates processes that are difficult to observe.
Thus, we have considered the various methods used in the collection and analysis of information. Each method has its own rules, and special working tools are being developed, with the help of which the goal is achieved. The features of their use depend, firstly, on the tasks facing the journalist, secondly, on the object and subject of study and description, and thirdly, on the scale of organizational measures related to the practical application of a particular method. It should be noted that today there is a tendency towards complementarity and interpenetration of methods, which increases the level of culture of journalistic work. This interpenetration is especially noticeable in the field of television journalism with its integrated approach and visualization of all processes.
Discipline: Economy
The type of work: Report
Topic: Information gathering methods in journalism and PR communications
St. Petersburg State University of Engineering and Economics
Report on the theory and practice of public relations:
«Methods of collecting information in journalism
-communications"
Students
I course of the humanitarian faculty
Groups 6031
Lavrova Maria
Lecturer: Evseev A.Yu.
2004
In general, not only journalism and
PR communications, but also many other professions - a scientist, investigator, intelligence officer, psychologist, doctor, etc. In fact, any field of activity where the key value
has a circumstance - whether information about an object, process or phenomenon is accurate, faces the problem of how to obtain and evaluate this information, with a set of implementation methods
this task.
The basis of any journalistic work (text) is information, i.e. information about real processes and phenomena that took place. Judgment not based on information can
lead to unpredictable consequences, up to complete rejection or the opposite expected reaction. Therefore, the search, structuring and correct assessment of information is
a key step in building any journalistic and
- material. The greater the confidence in the accuracy of the information received, the more likely the journalist or
achieves the set goal. The selection of facts requires a thorough study of heterogeneous information, their comparison and evaluation, structuring according to the degree of relevance, according to the degree
influence of social or other significance. At the same time, excessively redundant information, as well as its lack, should be avoided.
Sciences of the humanities cycle, and journalism and
belong to those, in many respects they proceed from presumptive information, which is difficult, and sometimes impossible, to interpret unambiguously or confirm. That's why
there are both exact data and hypotheses that are in the nature of the most probable assumption.
in journalism and
the methodological basis of the process of collecting and information creatively compiles the whole variety of methods of various disciplines. Journalist or worker
in this context, brings together such heterogeneous factors as one's own experience, personal qualities inherent in him due to personality traits, standard technologies
information activities and generally accepted principles and professional norms
At the same time, the collection of information for a professional is not of a formal nature, but turns into an element of primary creative activity, which largely determines
all subsequent stages of his work. The role of intuition, suggesting which fact should be found and recorded, how to get to this fact and where its use in the future
will bring the maximum, the benefit is no less important than the set of professional skills to obtain it.
The more precisely a journalist or
the employee imagines exactly what facts are necessary for his material, the more he is ready for the preliminary collection of information, the more effective
this process.
It is quite obvious that the initial stage of the search for information on a specific task is the primary and most complete in these conditions
preliminary knowledge of the problem. Experienced journalists not only do not neglect the opportunity to understand the essence of the problem, to get acquainted with all its aspects before they start
practical work - whether it is writing a short note or preparing a serious analytical material, but on the contrary, they seek every opportunity for this.
While studying the literature, I found that the methods of collecting information are so diverse and invariant, so dependent on the context that even
an approximate, cursory description of them would take up a huge amount of text. for journalism and
there are certain professional features of the methodology, however, in a general sense, grouping them according to key features - although such a classification in
to a certain extent conditional - they can be divided into three groups:
- Communicative methods.
- Non-communicative (documentary and physical).
- Analytical.
Communicative Methods
Communicative methods of obtaining information include all types of interpersonal and technical communication that are available in the work of a journalist or
mena
.. Of course, this is, first of all, a conversation, an interview and a survey.
To a certain extent, communication methods include correspondence via postal information channels, and specific methods of computer communications,
such as teleconferences, email correspondence, etc.
Conversation,
is usually a preparatory stage before using other more precise communication methods, necessary in order to understand the emotional
the background of the situation, to understand the characteristics of the personality of the opponent, to understand the situation as a whole.
The main communicative means of obtaining information in practical journalism is an interview (face-to-face or correspondence interview), as a result
which the journalist realizes certain goals to obtain certain information. It, in turn, is divided into formalized and non-formalized. formalized
interviewing is characterized by a sufficiently large amount of time or period between the collection of information and its publication. As a result, many cataclysms occur:
selection of words or phrases from the context, installation of material, custom material. And informal interviewing is characterized by a lack of time between collection and publication. The
the method is typical for live broadcast, as a result of this option we get publicity, because this process is unpredictable and uncontrollable. As a rule, this method is peculiar to radio and
television.
The polls also highlight
focus groups - a method of collecting information that allows you to evaluate the effectiveness of communication at any stage, from the emergence of an idea to a concrete
- product. In practice, this method consists in conducting a collective interview in the form of a group discussion during which subjective information is collected from
participants to identify problems.
Non-communicative methods (documentary and physical)
It is extremely important in the work of a journalist to use all available information arrays to obtain information. It should be noted here that familiarity with printed and
other press, primary documents related to the event (books, diaries, letters, notes, business correspondence, orders and instructions, other documents, etc.)
gives the journalist a huge array of information on which he can rely in his work on the material. Another very effective method is the methods of obtaining information in
as a result of the use of various monitoring tools. However, observation (monitoring), as a non-communicative method, even without the use of special devices, gives
often invaluable information, since in this case the journalist himself can become an eyewitness of the event, observe the situation, etc. For
monitoring is the analysis of the media, the style of writing, the manner of presenting the material. It is important to present enough pictures of the work of the media, ...
Faculty of Philology and Journalism
Department of Theory of Journalism
METHODOLOGICAL MANUAL FOR THE DISCIPLINE:
TECHNIQUE OF JOURNALISM
In accordance with the curriculum of the journalism department, the course "Technique of journalistic work" is included in the block of general professional disciplines and is studied in the first semester. 12 hours of lectures, 24 hours of laboratory classes are allotted for its classroom study).
The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the field of journalism, to give an idea of the place and role of reporter's work as a special type of journalistic activity, to teach the techniques of reporter's work, to instill reporter's skills.
The course "Technique of journalistic work" is the technological basis for studying journalistic genres. It gives students an idea of the ways, methods, system of work of a journalist in collecting, processing and transmitting information through media channels. mass media. Such concepts as “journalistic information, its types, methods of collecting and verifying information”, “sources of information and their classification” should be learned by students during the theoretical course and worked out in practice in laboratory classes.
The course ends with a credit at the end of the first semester, to which the student is allowed to pass, subject to the completion of all types of practical work and tasks provided for by the course plan.
Reporting work is connected with the most important task of the press - to quickly cover all the most significant processes. public life manifested in facts and events.
Every journalist should have reporter skills. Therefore, in order to successfully master the techniques of reporter's work, students must acquire knowledge on the problems: journalistic information and its types, sources of information, forms and methods of cognition of reality by a reporter, principles and stages of cognition of a reporter's work.
Thesis plan of lectures
The concept of journalistic information
The goal of any information activity is the movement from a state of high initial entropy to a state of minimum entropy. Information, eliminating uncertainty, helps a person to form his own model of the external world, helps to make the right decisions and navigate the processes and patterns of the surrounding reality.
Information has certain properties.
First, it is the ability of information to be valuable and useless. The most important value of information lies in its novelty. But it must be taken into account that any new, previously unknown information necessarily has an objective value, but is not always of value to each individual person or group of persons. Therefore, one must always remember the subjective value of information, which depends on the needs of people. The second property of information is its redundancy. Absolutely new information would require constant tension, a person would quickly get tired. Therefore, journalists often make explanations of terms, so the same news is aired at a given frequency.
In information theory, two levels of information are distinguished - potential and real information. All journalistic information that functions in society, that is, social information, is potential information. Real information is the relationship between the message and its consumer: only by connecting with the consumer (listener, reader, viewer, etc.) does information become real.
Requirements for journalistic information.
Originality, not banality of information.
The availability or decodability of a message.
The relevance or appropriateness of the message.
Types of journalistic information:
Event information is facts, events published without comments.
Interpretive information is the analysis, comments, conclusions and generalizations contained in publications.
Basic information is a particularly important documentary, theoretical information of a state, moral, legal, religious and other generally significant nature.
Reporting work in the system of journalistic activity
Modern differentiation of journalistic work is a number of professional specializations: reporter, analyst, publicist. For reporters, the qualities of mobility and efficiency are priorities, which ensure success in the conditions of a strict rhythm of information gathering.
News journalism is a set of genres focused on the communication of operational event information.
The subject of news journalism is the moment when reality changes.
Fact is at the heart of news journalism.
Fact - a real, non-fictional incident, an event that has a single character. This is not what happened, happens, but what happened in a certain case, what happened today, yesterday, in a specific place.
He has an internal drama - the beginning, development, completion, that is, dynamics.
News materials can be conditionally divided into three categories: calendar, hot and organized.
Calendars are associated with the anniversaries of certain events, with the fact that they must certainly happen. This is forward information. Hot news reports on dramatic events in the country and abroad - major disasters, natural disasters, unpredictable actions of people or unexpected coincidences. Organized news is an artificial attraction of attention to an event, an artificial sensation.
Can any fact of everyday reality be suitable for publication? What is news and how to determine the value of news?
The fact that significantly changes the situation is news.
The news must be:
Previously unknown
close to the audience
Unusual
personalized
arouse general interest
The reporter's task is to collect facts about the event and present it according to the classical scheme, answering the main questions WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN and HOW, and further explanation with answers to the WHY question is already the task of the commentator.
3. Sources of information
The ability to get primary living information, exclusive - one of the indicators of the high professionalism of a journalist.
The society has developed an extensive network of informing journalists about ongoing planned events, which includes:
briefings
presentations
press conferences
press releases
news agency reports.
The main source of information for obtaining unscheduled information is a fragment of reality.
There are three types of information sources - a document, a person and a material environment. Written sources are based on the principle of publicity and freedom of information, which allow one to get acquainted with documents classified as publicly available (official papers, letters, reports, protocols, acts, orders, etc.). A person can always explain the content of a document, comment on them, tell the background of the event, give advice, etc. Sometimes the environment that surrounds a person (objects and things) can tell more about him than himself.
Oral sources of information - people who do not always agree with the indication of their name in the publication. For this reason, they may be
open
anonymous
sources "off the record".
There are several proven ways to check the facts:
ask the source again and, based on the text, double-check the figures, facts, names, etc. important details articulate important statements.
compare information with video, audio recordings, text documents
ask additional witnesses and eyewitnesses
let the editorial lawyer read the text.
Observation as a method of collecting information
Observation allows the journalist to receive information directly from the current reality - primary information. What information can a journalist obtain through observation? Firstly, these are data that express the essence of what is happening through the external side, on the basis of which it is possible to draw conclusions about the meaning of events, about people's attitudes, about the level of their general culture or traditions, habits - about everything that can be read by the eye. Secondly, data that conveys the external characteristics of an object. They appear in the text as a description of the signs of a real situation that create a "presence effect" for the reader - these are the details of the appearance of the characters, their speech, gestures, objects of the environment in which events take place.
The advantages of the method include specificity and singularity. The method of observation and the most operative method in journalism, and this explains its importance. It allows you to reflect reality at the moment of its development. But the journalist perceives the world on the basis of their past intellectual and emotional experience, on the basis of established logical concepts. The richer this experience, the more complete and reliable the results of observation. Consequently, the method of observation has the subjectivity of perception, introduces a subjective element into the objective picture of the world.
Observation in journalism has a number of modifications. First of all, observation can be prepared and unprepared.
Prepared observation involves familiarizing the journalist with necessary literature, archival materials, other information about the object. The journalist knows that he will have to observe who will participate in the events, what is their sequence, etc.
Unprepared observation is based on unpredictability, randomness, suddenness of what is happening. A journalist works with an object without knowing anything about it in advance.
There is one-time and long-term observation.
A single observation is sufficient when writing small notes. One-time observation is used in news journalism, as it is associated with a tough professional need - efficiency.
Long-term observation in journalism is close to scientific. It is carried out according to a clearly planned program, in accordance with the goal, the results are recorded and compared. Long-term observation has powerful virtues - it reflects the subject in development, in the highest degree authentically and analytically.
Observations are direct and indirect, open and hidden. Direct observation is carried out with direct contact of the journalist with the object. Indirect observation is needed when the object of observation is remote in time and space and direct observation is impossible.
Open observation is appropriate only in the preparation of positive material. Open observation forces the heroes of the material to correct their behavior, manner, style of work, etc., that is, some psychological interference occurs. Therefore, a journalist needs time to "accustom" others to his presence.
Covert observation is a type in which a journalist investigates a subject without informing about the very fact of observation, studies the behavior of people in their usual conditions, fixes the existing relationships in a team, etc.
Covert surveillance is used both in situations where the journalist is an outside witness to the situation, and in those when he is a participant in it. In the 1st case - non-included observation, in the 2nd - included.
Member observation is carried out by a journalist when he comes to any collective or social group as a full participant in the process, social relations in this group. A look from the inside allows you to fix not only external manifestations, but also the motives, motives of people's behavior.
The experiment stands out from a number of types of observation. It is a prepared observation that has a new quality. The essence of the experiment is that the journalist artificially creates circumstances under which the phenomenon manifests itself more clearly and accurately. This ensures the utmost reliability of information.
Interview as a method of collecting information.
Preparing and conducting interviews
The most common type of information source is a person. Firstly, a person is often a witness or participant in ongoing events; secondly, he is a carrier of information about himself and his subjective world; thirdly, he is a translator of information received from others.
With the help of interviews, a wide range of data can be obtained, forming several segments, namely:
Factual data
Explanations
Assumptions and forecasts
Speech signs of the interlocutor, which convey the features of his personality.
The success or failure of the work is related to the quality of the interviewer's preparation: with the study of the topic, understanding the goal, thoughtfulness of the action plan, ingenuity in the preparation of questions.
Questions are divided into basic and additional. The main ones are prepared in advance, as they must bring the main information. But often they do not work, because there are a number of psychological and social barriers that do not allow establishing friendly contact between the interlocutors. And here additional questions come to the rescue, which were not predicted. They are set at the moment when the main one does not work or when a turn of the topic unexpectedly occurs.
Classification of questions by form:
Open. Open questions name a topic or subject, and then the interlocutor is free to structure the answers at his own discretion. Closed ones are often used in sociology during a mass survey. In closed questions, the possible answers are embedded in the question itself, and the respondent must choose the position that corresponds to his opinion.
Direct and indirect. It is advisable to ask indirect questions when the topic is of a “sensitive” nature, associated with an opinion that runs counter to moral or ethical standards in one or another social group. Therefore, the question must be structured in such a way that it frees the interlocutor from the categoricalness of the statement.
Personal and impersonal. The personal forms of the question elicit a more individual opinion. The impersonal form gives an answer not about one's own point of view, but about the opinions of others, reveals not the personality of the interlocutor, but his idea of what objective reality requires.
There are some rules that must be observed when questioning any source of information.
The reporter must be well versed in the subject of the conversation.
When preparing for an interview, keep the task in mind. If you need to get facts, specific data, find out figures for a note, reportage, article, etc., each question should be built with this in mind.
Each question should consider only one aspect. By asking two questions in one, you allow the subject of the interview to “dodge” one of the answers, giving him the opportunity to answer only the one that seems to him the most understandable, simple or convenient.
The question should be asked in interrogative form, not in the affirmative.
Strive to ask open-ended questions. They will help to avoid monosyllabic answers: “yes” or “no”.
Questions should be neutral.
Questions should be simple.
Listen for answers.
Documentary method of collecting information
The skill of a journalist is associated with the ability to use reliable sources of information. The provider of such information is a method of studying reality with the help of a document.
A document in journalism is any object created for the purpose of recording information expressed with any sign system. A document can be a letter, an audio or videotape, a photograph, a drawing, a resolution, a magazine article…
The study of documents is a method that allows you to obtain information of a very different nature - from the fundamental provisions of science to diary confessions that give an idea about their author. With the help of documents, information obtained during the interview or observation is verified. It becomes an argument and evidence when a journalist needs to prove his case in court. Reliance on documents makes publication solid and secure. A professional journalist takes every opportunity to provide himself with copies of the documents with which he has to work.
It is necessary to imagine what type of documents fell into your hands. In journalism, the following classification of documents is accepted:
According to the method of recording information: handwritten, printed documents, films and photographic films, magnetic and digital records.
According to the status of the document: official and unofficial
According to the degree of closeness to the empirical material: primary and secondary
According to the method of obtaining the document: according to the established sample and target.
Depending on the nature of the document and the purpose of the journalist, there is a choice of methods of analysis. These can be general methods (comparison, comprehension) or special (psychological, sociological, forensic).
Exist various ways document verification. Traditionally, they are divided into external and internal evaluation.
Establishing the authenticity of a document. The external signs of the document are considered - its form, language, style, dating. The rules that apply in forensics are also suitable for journalism:
whether there are any errors in the document;
whether the institution or person on behalf of which the document is drawn up is competent to certify the information contained in it;
whether such an institution exists, whether it has been reorganized or what it was called before, at the time when the document was drawn up;
whether the content of the document corresponds to its form;
whether the spacing between text and captions is unusual;
if the document is multipage, are all pages numbered, is the paper the same, its quality and color.
whether the stamp or seal is clearly visible.
Establishing the reliability, reliability, truth of the information contained in the document. Here it is appropriate to find out: what information was used by the compiler of the document, whether the names are not distorted officials.
It is desirable to establish the date of appearance of the document and its number.
In addition, it is necessary to distinguish in the document from assessments, since assessments are a subjective thing and the author could be interested in his interpretation or in silence.
Establishing the truth of the information helps to cross-check the document with the help of the entire range of available documents on this issue, their comparative analysis.
When extracting from a document, a professional journalist always:
Fixes the exact title of the document, its author, date and place of publication;
Encloses in quotation marks the removed fragments of the text and indicates the pages;
Marks with special signs own thoughts and assessments that arose during reading;
Upon completion of the work, it specifically checks all quotations, titles, numbers, last names, first names and other information.
Topics and tasks of laboratory work
journalistic information reporter interview
Ways of fixing and accumulating information for future information messages.
Business game "From fact to rumor".
Techniques and methods for obtaining primary information (work at the facility) and its fixation.
Collection of operational information outside the audience.
Ethical standards of behavior of a reporter in dealing with people.
Ways to check and recheck information, records and facts; collection of additional information when preparing the text of the information message.
The choice of the genre of performance in connection with the nature of the event.
Holding a press conference in the audience on a specific topic.
Organization and setting up a reporter service in newspapers different types.
Solving the creative problems of a reporter.
Description as a way of fixing information.
Questions for offset
The concept of journalistic information
Types of journalistic information
Requirements for journalistic information
The specifics of reporter work
Fact and requirements for news
Main types of information sources
Observation as a method of collecting information
Types of observation
Interview as a method of collecting information
Interview Rules
Question classification
Documentary method of collecting information
Document classification
Establishing the authenticity and reliability of a document
Experiment as a method of collecting information
control test
What type of information does the statement of the President of Russia refer to:
eventful
interpretive
basic
All information circulating in society is:
real information
potential information
A message about an upcoming anniversary of something can be categorized as:
hot news
calendar
organized
What are the priority qualities of a reporter:
personal charm
efficiency
Short meetings at which journalists get acquainted with the position of the organizers of the meeting on a particular issue are:
presentations
briefings
What method of gathering information will you use when describing the opening of an art exhibition:
interview
observation
The concept of a document. document and source. Classification of documents as the first stage of their analysis. The problem of authenticity, authenticity and reliability of documents. The use of a document in a journalistic material.
Documentary name. any information fixed in printed, handwritten text, on a magnetic tape, on a photo, film.
concept "document" used today in two senses- wide and narrow:
- - In a broad sense- a material recording medium (paper, film and photographic film, magnetic recording, punched card, etc.) with information recorded on it for its transmission in time and space,
- - In the narrow- business paper, legally confirming any fact or right to something.
Document and source.
According to Lazutina, a journalist presents reality as a collection of information sources. There are three types of sources:
- - document,
- - human,
- - subject-material environment.
He can find the same data in all three types of sources. A person is considered the main source of information, but the possibilities of working with documents cannot be underestimated.
Classification of documents as the first step in their analysis.
Communication of a journalist with documentary sources of information begins with their search. The next step is the classification of documents - the first stage of the analysis. In journalism, the following classification of documents is accepted.
By type of activity, which generated the document:
State administrative;
Production and administrative;
Socio-political;
Regulatory and technical;
Reference and information;
Artistic.
By areas of their application:
Production(A set of texts that provide information service for the production life of labor collectives, the needs of management in the state and industrial sectors. Access to them is difficult, because there is neither a normative act nor departmental instructions that would clearly define the procedure for a journalist to access them. You need to look for workarounds - persuasion, for example).
public organizations ( Texts that provide information services for the activities of parties, movements, associations of various kinds. Access to them is also difficult, since representatives of the press services are often not interested in providing them).
household(Provides information services for people in everyday life. The most difficult thing is to search. Most of them are not subject to accounting, moreover, they, as a rule, are the personal property of a person).
Document classification:
- 1. a way of fixing information - handwritten, printed documents, films and photographic films, magnetic tapes.
- 2. type of authorship - personal or public
- 3. document status - official or unofficial
- 4. way of obtaining the document - naturally functioning; created by special By order of the journalist; caused - responses from readers.
- 5. degree of proximity to the material - primary or secondary
The problem of authenticity and reliability of the document: the authenticity and reliability of documents is a serious problem. Reliability is the confidence that we are dealing with that information. Reliability- the problem of the truth of the data, their correspondence to actual events. A document can be very reliable and yet contain completely false information. The primary document is more reliable than the secondary one, and the official one is preferable to the unofficial one.
Reliable if: 1. they do not affect the interests of the author; 2. they cause some damage to the author; the author they are not essential 4. the author treated them unkindly.
If there are doubts about the reliability and authenticity of the document, it is necessary to analyze it in a special way. It should be determined:
whether the document was prepared by a competent (by virtue of his position) and authorized person for this purpose;
whether the environment in which the document was drawn up affected its content;
whether the names of officials are distorted;
whether the content of the document corresponds to the text of the seal imprint (corner stamp);
whether the document is signed by an authorized person for this purpose.
It is also desirable to set the date of appearance of the document and its number. In addition, a professional approach requires verification of the information provided by other sources. It is also important, when reading a text, to clearly separate the events in question from its assessments, facts from opinions about them. When using individual fragments of a document in a publication, one should take into account the general context in which this document operates. A document torn out of the general context of events can lead to a distortion of the essence of the matter.
Sometimes it is quite difficult to determine the authenticity of the source using standard methods, then specialists come to the rescue.
The document is important, with its help information is verified, it is an argument, evidence in court, reliance on documents makes the publication solid and secure. You need to provide yourself with copies of the documents. Personal documents (letters, diaries, wills) - use with the permission of their author or owner. Exceptions are letters to the editor (unless there is a request not to name names). Information in letters requires verification.
The process of mastering a document by a journalist consists of three stages:
- - data extraction,
- - their interpretation
- - fixation (i.e. notes, writing material).
Fixation results in the creation of professional recordings of the journalist, which, under certain conditions, may be legally binding.