News Sources

‘Sources of news are everywhere’. A journalist is surrounded by sources of potential news stories ore features. A conversation with a friend, a poster on a wall, an unexpected juxtaposition-all might result in a story if you keep your eyes, ears and mind open. Some sources will be routine points of contact for journalists while others may be one-offs, some will be proactive, approaching journalists because they want news access for their views or events, while other sources may not even be aware that they are sources. A journalist should maintain a contact book having list of people categorized and carrying vital information. Sources of news can be listless, some sources are:

Academic journals: Research by academics, published in journals is a frequent source of news stories. Here the journalist job is to spot a potential story among qualifications and to render the story intelligibly to the readers.
Armed forces in peacetime the armed forces can generate stories through mysterious deaths or cases of bullying that comes to light. During times of conflict military briefings become events in their own right.

Art groups apart from providing information about forthcoming events, art groups can generate rows about funding or controversial subject matter.
Campaigns campaigners who want to influence public opinion on subjects ranging from animal rights to environment are likely to come up with opinions or events that might generate news stories.
Commerce & Trade business organizations can be useful source of news stories or comments about anything from interest rates, shares to shopping. Also, consumer stories are a valuable source of information for evaluating the image of an organization.
Council press offices local authorities employ teams of press officers. They react to journalists’ queries, coming up with information, quotes and contacts while acting as buffer between decision makers and journalists. Council press officers with an eye for a good story should be able to get daily page leads in local evening newspaper because they know what turns on the common people.
Court hearings court reporters dip in and out of several courtrooms looking for cases that fit the news values. Hence, the importance of good contacts with court staff, police, solicitors and others should be realized. Some reporters will also go after background material like quotes from victims and their relatives.
Entertainment industry it is an increasingly important source for today’s media and celebrities gain immensely because of popularity through media coverage. Films, serials and various other programs gain only if media has been highlighting them.
Government News Network the government news network produces vast numbers of news release on behalf of the government departments and agencies on a regional and national basis. It also handles ministerial and royal visits.
Health authorities & hospitals outbreak of serious disease, funding crisis, hospital closures and health promotion are all examples of news stories that arise from health authorities. Hospitals are source of good news stories carrying news about cures, new treatments and general triumph-over-tragedy.
Libraries though it is hard to believe but the truth is that not everything is available on the Internet. Libraries retain a useful role in providing access to reference books, company reports, local history achieves, indexes of local societies, community notice boards and so on.
News Agencies they are the foot soldiers of journalism at a national and international level, allowing media organizations to cover stories in areas where they have few or no staff. Agencies keep a check on offices and local bodies and look out for news stories here. Newspapers, radio, television, big news media houses, depend largely on the news agencies for general news coverage. Some famous news agencies are AP (Associated press of America print), Reuters (UK), PTI (Press Trust of India), etc.
News Releases news or press releases are point of reference for the journalists while covering an event. Badly written press releases can be waste of time both for the journalist as well as for the organization.
Notice boards Notices in shops, offices, libraries, colleges and elsewhere may also become a source of news.
Other media newspapers monitor other papers plus TV, radio, news sites on the web. And, in turn, each medium monitors other media.
People potential stories can be suggested by people you meet while at work, rest and play. This can range from somebody mentioning that they have just seen a police car parked in their street to other substantial information provided by the common people.
Political party’s contacts within parties can be a fruitful source of stories about rows and splits, while party spokespeople will be keener to let you know about the selection of candidates or launch of policy initiatives.
PR companies this industry provides the journalists and us a peek into the media world every day. So it is a major source for the journalists.
Press conferences are likely to be held to announce the results of official inquiries or to unveil new appointments. Fewer press conferences take place these days, as most journalists are too busy to go and collect information that could be faxed or emailed.
Universities are a source of a huge range of stories, whether it is ground breaking research, an unusual degree scheme or an ethical argument. They are also where you will find experts in everything from aeronautics to the zodiac.

Source: Internet