Free Journalism Dictionary
A glossary of terms, words, slang and shop talk used in the journalism, book publishing, printing, and writing professions.
ad
Advertisement.
add
Copy to be added to a story already written.
advance
1. A preliminary story describing a future event.
2. To move a story up in priority
("We're advancing the scandal story to the front page.")
angle
The aspect emphasized in a story.
assignment
The task or story a reporter must cover.
background
1. A story that is not assigned a deadline. (See also "backgrounder.")
2. Any information that is given to reporter not specifically for a quote, but for general information on a subject.
backgrounder
A story that details the background of a subject. ("I'm assigned to do a backgrounder on the new company.")
bank
See deck.
banner
A headline that extends across the page or screen.
beat
The area or subject matter that a reporter regularly covers.
blind interview
An interview which does not give the name of the person interviewed.
blurb
Short phrase issued by a publisher to promote the sale of a book.
BOD
"Book-on-demand"; method of book printing where each book is produced as it is ordered.
boil down
To reduce in size.
break
1. The time when a story has been published. ("When did that story break?")
2. The first news source to report a story. ("An indie Web site first broke the scandal.")
brief
A brief story.
bump
1. To move something ahead or behind schedule. ("We're going to bump this story up to Tuesday.")
2. To increase or decrease. ("We'll bump your payment up to compensate you for the extra work you did.")
byline
The author's name at the beginning of a story.
caption
The descriptive text for an illustration; often credits the name of the photographer or artist who made the illustration. Also "cut line" or "cutline."
casebound
See "hardbound."
clip
A collection of a writer's previously published work, used to show the talent and interests of a writer. ("Can you send me some clips on the subject?")
codex
A book made of bound pages.
copy
The text of a story.
copyreader
One who edits and gives headlines to news stories.
cover
To research and put together a story.
credit
Acknowledging the source for a given fact.
cub
A beginning reporter. Also "rookie."
cut
Remove a portion of a story.
cut line
See "caption."
daily
A publication that publishes every day.
deck
Part of the headline which summarizes the story. Also "deck copy," "bank."
dog watch
See "lobster shift."
editorialize
To inject the opinion of the writer in a story.
filler
Short news stories or tidbits used to fill space.
flak
A low-position spokesperson for a company.
flash
Short news summary of an event.
follow-up
A story that gives new developments about the subject of a previously published story.
folio
Page number.
foto
Photograph.
fotog
Photographer.
freelancer
One work works for himeself, and is not employed by the publisher; a freelance assignment is one given to a writer not employed by the publisher. Also "free-lancer."
fyi
For your information.
get
A very good, or exclusive, interview.
graf
Paragraph.
hardbound
A codex book whose cover material is hard and not flexible. Also "hardback" or "casebound."
head
See "headline."
headline
Title of a story.
inset
1. Correcting copy inserted into a piece that is already typeset.
2. Any material inserted into something larger: pages, copy, illustration, advertisements. ("The corrections in the book's new edition were made with inset copy -- you can see that the typeface is slightly different.")
journo
1. Journalist. 2. Journalism.
kicker
The first sentence or first few words of a story's lead, set in a font size larger than the body text of the story.
kill
To delete copy; to remove an item from the publication schedule ("In light of the airplane tragedy, the editor decided to kill the airline humor story.")
kill fee
Fee paid to reporter for a killed story; usually a percentage of the normal fee.
lead
The lead paragraph or sentence in a story.
lede
See "lead."
leg man
A reporter who gathers news.
library
A publication's private collection of files, clips, illustrations, prepared bios/obits, etc.
lobster shift
Working in the hours after a publication has gone to print.
masthead
The page of a publication that gives its staff and editorial information.
morgue
See "library."
mug shot
A head-and-shoulders picture of an individual.
net sales
Number of actual sales of a book (ie, not counting copies sent to distributors and later returned).
nut graf
Paragraph in a story containing the "meat" details of what the story is all about, often directly following an anecdotal lead.
obit
Obituary.
on spec
Submitting a piece on the "speculation" that the editor will accept it, a practice more new free-lancers
op-ed
"Opposite editorial" -- features page usually printed opposite a newspaper's editorial page, often containing pieces presenting a position on an issue which is the opinion of the author and not necessa
rily (or usually) the opinion of the paper. Also "O&E."
orphan
A single line of text beginning a paragraph or section of text and appearing at the bottom of a page.
pad
To make longer.
paste-up
A page's individual elements assembled in its layout on a board (usu. by _pasting_ or taping); used to make the photographic plates which are then printed.
pic
Picture or illustration.
pitch
Story idea sent to an editor by a reporter.
pix
Pictures.
play up
Emphasize. ("Why don't you play up the infidelity angle?")
pork
Material held for later use, if needed.
POD
"Print-on-demand." See BOD.
pull
quote
A quotation from an article, sometimes edited for brevity, displayed in larger type as a figure to the body of the article. (Also "pullquote.")
puff
Editorialized, complimentary statements in a story.
puff piece
A news story that contains a lot of puff.
query
A pitch, usually for longer, editorial or magazine pieces.
redletter
Exclusive, breaking news coverage of a major news event, printed in red type.
retraction
A publication's withdrawal of a previously-published story or
fact. ("The _Times_ retracted their comments on the man.")
revision
A re-written or improved story, often with additional quotes or facts.
rookie
See "cub."
run
1. To put an item on schedule for publication ("Let's run this item in the gossip column.")
2. A reporter's beat.
sacred cow
News or promo material which a publisher or editor demands be published, often for personal reasons.
scoop
1. An exclusive or first-published story. ("That story you did was a nice scoop.")
2. A synonym for "tip." ("I got another great scoop from her.")
sell-through
Percentage amount of net sales for a book.
short
See "brief."
source
An individual whose statements are used for material in a story.
spec
See "on spec."
stet
Proofreader's mark for "restore to condition before mark up."
street edition
The edition of a newspaper that comes out first and is available "on the streets" such as at newsstands.
subhead
A smaller one-line headline for a story.
TK
Proofreader's insertion mark for data "to come"; also "TKTK."
take
A section of a running story.
tie back
See "tie in."
tie in
Part of the story that reiterates past events in order to make recent developments clear. Also "tie back." ("Your piece is good, but the tie-in is weak.")
tip
Information about a potential story that has not been broken.
top heads
Headlines at the top of a column.
trim
To reduce the length of a story.
vet
weekly
A publication that publishes once a week.
widow
A single line of text ending a paragraph or section of text and
appearing at the top of a page.
accredited journalist n. 特派记者
advertisement n．广告 ．
advance n．预发消息；预写消息
affair n．桃新闻；绯闻
anecdote n．趣闻轶事
assignment n．采写任务
attribution n. 消息出处，消息来源
back alley news n. 小道消息
backgrounding n．新闻背景
Bad news travels quickly. 坏事传千里。
banner n．通栏标题
beat n．采写范围
blank vt. "开天窗"
body n. 新闻正文
boil vt．压缩(篇幅)
box n. 花边新闻
brief n. 简讯
bulletin n．新闻简报
byline n. 署名文章
caption n．图片说明
caricature n．漫画
carry vt．刊登
cartoon n．漫画
censor vt. 审查(新闻稿件)，新闻审查
chart n．每周流行
音乐排行版
clipping n．剪报
column n．专栏；栏目
columnist n．专栏作家
continued story 连载故事；连载小说
contributing editor 特约编辑
contribution n．(投给报刊的)稿件；投稿
contributor n．投稿人
copy desk n．新闻编辑部
copy editor n．文字编辑
correction n．更正(启事)
correspondence column读者来信专栏
correspondent n.驻外记者；常驻外埠记者
cover vt．采访；采写
cover girl n. 封面女郎
covert coverage 隐性采访；秘密采访
crop vt．剪辑(图片)
crusade n．宣传攻势
cut n．插图 vt．删减(字数)
cut line n．插图说明
daily n．日报
dateline n．新闻电头
deadline n．截稿时间
dig vt．深入采访；追踪(新闻线索)；“挖”(新闻)
digest n．文摘
editorial n．社论
editorial office 编辑部
editor's notes 编者按
exclusive n．独家新闻
expose n．揭丑新闻；新闻曝光
extra n．号外
eye-account n．目击记；记者见闻
faxed photo 传真照片
feature n．特写；专稿
feedback n．信息反馈
file n．发送消息；发稿
filler n．补白
First Amendment (美国宪法)第一修正案(内容有关新闻、出版自由等)
five "W's" of news 新闻五要素
flag n．报头；报名
folo (=follow-up) n．连续报道
Fourth Estate 第四等级(新闻界的别称)
freedom of the Press 新闻自由
free-lancer n．自由撰稿人
full position 醒目位置
Good news comes on crutches. 好事不出门。
grapevine n．小道消息
gutter n．中缝
hard news 硬新闻；纯消息
headline n．新闻标题；内容提要
hearsay n．小道消息
highlights n. 要闻
hot news 热点新闻
human interest 人情味
in-depth reporting 深度报道
insert n.& vt．插补段落；插稿
interpretative reporting 解释性报道
invasion of privacy 侵犯隐私(权)
inverted pyramid 倒金字塔(写作结构)
investigative reporting 调查性报道
journalism n．新闻业；新闻学
Journalism is literature in a hurry 新闻是急就文学．
journalist n．新闻记者
kill vt．退弃(稿件)；毙(稿件)
layout n．版面编排；版面设计
lead n．导语
libel n. 诽谤(罪)
makeup n. 版面设计
man of the year 年度新闻人物，年度风云人物
mass communication 大众传播(学)
mass media 大众传播媒介
master head n．报头；报名
media n.媒介，媒体
Mere report is not enough to go upon．仅是传闻不足为凭．
morgue n．报刊资料室
news agency 通讯社
news clue 新闻线索
news peg 新闻线索，新闻电头
newsprint n．新闻纸
news value 新闻价值
No news is good news．没有消息就是好消息；不闻凶讯便是吉。
nose for news 新闻敏感
obituary n．讣告
objectivity n．客观性
off the record 不宜公开报道
opinion poll 民意浏验
periodical n．期刊
pipeline n．匿名消息
来源
popular paper 大众化报纸；通俗报纸
press n．报界；新闻界
press conference 新闻发布会；记者招待台
press law 新闻法
press release 新闻公告；新闻简报
PR man 公关先生
profile n. 人物专访；人物特写
proofreader n．校对员
pseudo event 假新闻
quality paper 高级报纸；严肃报纸
quarterly n．季刊
readability n．可读性
reader's interest 读者兴越
reject vt．退弃(稿件)
remuneration n. 稿费；稿酬
reporter n．记者
rewrite vt. 改写(稿件)，改稿
round-up n．综合消息
scandal n．丑闻
scoop vt.“抢”(新闻) n．独家新闻
sensational a．耸人听闻的；具有轰动效应的
sex scandal 桃新闻
sidebar n．花絮新闻
slant n．主观报道；片面报道
slink ink “爬格子”
soft news 软新闻
source n．新闻来源；消息灵通人士
spike vt．退弃(稿件)；“毙”(稿件)
stone vt．拼版
story n．消息；稿件；文章
stringer n．特约记者；通讯员
subhead n．小标题；副标题
supplement n．号外；副刊；增刊
suspended interest 悬念
thumbnail n．“豆腐干”(文章)
timeliness n．时效性；时新性
tip n．内幕新闻；秘密消息
trim n. 删改(稿件)
update n．更新(新闻内容)，增强(时效性) editorial column
watchdog n.&vt.舆论监督
weekly n．周报
wire service n．通讯社
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