Includes index and glossary.

Contents: Acquiring the news: Legal and ethical considerations: Introduction -- Accuracy -- Libel -- Defenses -- False light -- Boundaries -- Hidden cameras and microphones -- Ambush interviews -- Gratuities -- Conflict of interest -- Reenactments and staging -- "Unnatural" sound -- Video deception -- Improper editing -- Jump cuts -- Inflating the news -- Will the real reporter please stand up? -- Cameras in the courtroom -- The fairness doctrine -- Invasion of privacy -- Online ramifications -- Summary -- Locating the news: Introduction -- Assignment desk -- Spontaneous, planned, and enterprised stories -- Follow-ups on previous newscasts -- The wires -- Local experts -- Social media and the internet -- Monitoring the competition -- Beat checks, cop shops, and police scanners -- Press releases and future files -- Franking and political news releases -- Public information officers -- The calendar -- Production meetings -- Summary -- Developing stories: Introduction -- Advancing the story -- Avoiding the pack -- Localization -- Tips -- Confidentiality -- Accuracy of sources -- Gaining confidence -- Leaks -- Trial balloons -- Authoritative or informed sources -- Background briefings -- Keeping in touch -- Summary -- Collecting information from real and virtual documents: Introduction -- Internet versus physical reporting -- Internet domains -- Internet searches -- Social media -- Open records -- Public records and "sunshine laws" -- The privacy act -- Collecting governmental information -- Collecting information about the government -- Businesses and individuals -- Business publications and indexes -- Trade publications -- Police records -- Court records -- Law enforcement databases -- Vital records -- Licenses -- Land records -- Financial records -- Tax records -- Public records -- Additional real and virtual documents -- Database services -- City directories, phone books, and reverse directories -- Creating expert databases -- Summary -- Beats, spot news, and reporting assignments: Introduction -- Beats -- Spot news -- Summary -- Writing the news: Newswriting mechanics: Introduction -- Slugs -- The split page -- Punctuation -- Rewriting wire copy -- Conversational style -- Removing unneeded words -- Reading your copy aloud -- Avoiding information overload -- Looking ahead -- Timing stories -- News writing style: Introduction -- Descriptors and identifiers -- Numbers, capital numbers, punctuation marks, and websites -- Language- using the best words -- Language- using the best phrasing -- Verbs -- Attribution, quotes, time, transitions, locations, and people -- Transferring to the web -- Summary -- Writing compelling leads: Introduction -- The five Ws and H rule -- The ''Right"" emotion -- The eight types of leads -- Updating the lead -- Summary -- Reporting the news: Fieldwork -- Introduction -- Equipment -- Setting up in the field -- Video -- Audio -- Summary -- Interviewing: Introduction -- Before the interview -- Warming up -- During the interview -- Phrasing questions carefully -- Avoiding leading questions -- Listening carefully -- The tough questions -- Keeping control -- Keeping a neutral demeanor -- Identifying sound bites -- Checking facts -- Asking enough questions -- Finishing the interview -- After the interview -- Returning to the station -- Special considerations -- Off the record -- Man-on-the-street interviews -- The phone interview -- An interview checklist -- Summary -- Covering planned events: Introduction -- Press conferences -- Political press conferences -- Promotional press conferences -- Emergency press conferences -- Covering the press conference -- Interviewing around the press conference -- Finding workable video -- Meetings -- Virtual press conferences -- Summary -- Reporting live: Introduction -- Organizing thoughts -- Ad-libbing -- The challenges of electronic news gathering -- Keeping cool -- Memorizing and delivering live reports -- Voiceovers from the fields -- Technical challenges -- Summary -- Voiceovers, packages, and story formats: Introduction -- Readers -- Combining words and pictures -- Voiceovers -- Scripting the voiceover -- Incorporating sound bites -- The split page -- The package -- Stand-ups and reporter involvement -- Posting stories -- Summary -- Producing the news: Producing the television newscast: Introduction -- Products-Definitions and skills -- The logistics and strategies of producing -- Technical aspects of producing -- Producing for the web -- Summary -- Producing the radio newscast: Introduction -- The state of radio news -- Your audience -- Organizing material -- Fundamentals of writing for radio news -- Writing from the back -- The lead story -- The rest of the newscast -- Localizing the news -- Story length -- Actualities -- Studio technology -- Wraparounds -- Lead-ins -- Teases -- Headlines -- Pad copy -- Back timing -- Convergence and radio news -- Summary -- Delivering the news: Introduction -- Appearance -- Credibility -- One-way communication -- Getting help with your delivery -- Reading the teleprompter -- Dialects -- Listening to yourself -- Correct pronunciation -- Pacing -- Marking copy -- Characteristics of successful anchors -- Cosmetics -- Before the newscast -- Mic levels -- Virtual news sets -- Online delivery -- Summary -- Careers in broadcast journalism: Introduction -- Media's dominance in America -- Employment trends in broadcast journalism -- Working environment and job descriptions -- Future opportunities in newsrooms -- What you will need to know to land a job -- Summary.