Newspaper Terms

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Newspaper Terms

Technology terms, designated with an asterick (*), have been included with traditional newspaper terms and defined below. Specialized terms that apply specifically to electronic editions (e-editions or e-Papers) are published below the Glossary.

Continue exploring the words. Look for examples in your print and digital editions. Ask newspaper staffers at your local and regional newspapers for explanations or demonstrations. Search more dictionaries, available in print and online.

The following links take you to labeled front and editorial pages. For instruction, match the terms with text and images in your newspaper, writing the terms directly on your newspaper or writing the terms on post-it notes and placing those on corresponding items in your newspaper. Teachers have used labeled front and/or editorial pages on bulletin boards and in news literacy, informational text and/or newspaper centers.

FRONTS

The Times-News Front Page Terms PDF 

News & Observer Front Page Terms

Other Front Page Terms

 

EDITORIAL PAGE

News & Observer Editorial Page Terms

 

Click here to jump to E-edition Terms

Click here to jump to Technology Companies

 

Glossary of Newspaper Terms

ABCD      EFGH        IJKL      MNOP      QRST     UVWXYZ

A

“above the fold” – section of the newspaper above the crease of a broad sheet publication; section reserved on page one for the most important and visible stories in a newspaper.

ad - an abbreviation for advertisement.


advertisements - messages in newspaper space, in print and online, paid for by the advertiser or company that is promoting the sell of goods and services.

all caps - printed material set in all capital letters.

alternative story forms (ASF) - SUPPLEMENTAL ways of adding to or clarifying information, specifically offering highlights, timelines, biographies or resumes, “the story so far,” definitions or explanatory texts, such as schedules and itineraries, and/or calls to action; also STANDALONE ways of telling a story, specifically using quizzes or questions/answers, by the numbers, checklists and updates, reviews and recaps, checklists and breakdowns or answers to the 5Ws. (To learn more from UNC professor/ journalist Andy Bechtel about ASFs,

visit http://www.newsu.org/courses/beyond-inverted-pyramid-creating-alternative-story.)

 

anchored features – weather, opinion, comics and/or other in newspapers that are published in the same place, page and/or section, helping readers locate the items.

angle - an approach or point of view for a story.

AP - an abbreviation for Associated Press, the largest wire service, operating worldwide, in large and small communities that receive, edit and provide stories written by members and provide members with stories written by their reporters. (See wire service.)

*APP (an abbreviation for application) – downloadable, specialized computing software, designed to enable a user to perform singular or multiple tasks that otherwise cannot be done on the device; if mobile, an APP is available for phones and other mobile devices.

 

assignment - a story or beat that a reporter covers.

art - a general term for all newspaper illustrations and photographs.

Associated Press – the wire service that receives and edits news from members and provides news to members; abbreviated AP.

Associated Press Stylebook – the standard reference book or guide for reporters and editors on word usage, grammar, titles, numbers, legal issues and more.

attribution - identification by name, title and other background information of a source of information, often quoted or paraphrased.

B

back copy – edition published on prior date, not today’s or most current newspaper.

balloon - the words appearing in a circle above characters in a cartoon or comic strip, which indicates their words or thoughts.

banner - a headline with the largest, boldest type on the front page, running across the entire width of the page and announcing the most important news in the edition; also an ad running across the page of the newspaper; on a website, usually an animated ad.

beat - a reporter’s regular area of coverage, such as local government, police news, science and/or religion.

*blog (or web log) (n) - a site where an individual, group or organization offers news, information and/or commentary and that often includes images and/or links to other sites; also called “online journalism;” (v) to post news, information, commentary and/or other to a website.

 

*blogger – a journalist or someone else who writes for a blog or web log; also someone who maintains or contributes to a blog on a specific subject that he/she is assigned by the newspaper or other person or organization responsible for the blog.  For example, beat reporting may involve maintaining a blog on the topic.

 

body copy - the main part of a news story that offers detailed information, following the headlines, subhead and any photo.

 

bold face – heavy or dark type that calls attention to text.

 

box - any material enclosed by bordered lines.

bias - a viewpoint expressed in an editorial, column or quote or a writer’s personal opinion or attitudes.

breaking news - news that is developing at the moment; news that occurs on or just before deadline.

broadsheet - a size and format for newspapers; applied to newspapers that use “traditional” format rather than the smaller tabloid format.

*browser – a software application that helps users find their way around or search the World Wide Web for information. Well-known examples are Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Internet Explorer.

 

budget - the space available for news; editors’ budget meetings decide which stories to run on key pages, etc.

bump - two headlines, placed side by side, set in similar types and sizes, which may confuse readers.

bundle – stack of newspapers wrapped, tied and loaded onto trucks for delivery to carriers who deliver individual copies to print subscribers.

bureau – an office away from the newspaper where news and/or advertising staffers work, located in an area where newspapers cover news and/or sell advertising.

byline - the name of the writer printed at the top of the story, below the headline; reporter’s credit line.

C

caption – often used as a synonym for “cutline,” which provides details about what’s happening in the photo and answers the key questions, who, what, when and where.

caricature - the exaggeration of features for comic or critical effect in a cartoon, published in print and/or online.

carrier - a person under contract with the newspaper who delivers newspapers to subscribers.

* chat - a kind of Internet communication that allows participants to send text messages back and forth, often described as instant messaging, enabled by simply clicking on the chat icon.

 

circulation - the number of newspaper copies sold; the department responsible for distributing or delivering the newspaper and keeping track of subscribers, whether buying print or digital editions.

*citizen journalism – reports written by citizens rather than writers employed as journalists, which may involve them setting up websites, sending emails, photos, and video to family members, friends, websites and news outlets, corresponding and sharing information with professional journalists, maintaining contact by phone and text, using Twitter and reporting on disasters and other significant, spontaneous events when “citizens” (and not journalists) are on the scene.

 

city editor – the person in charge of local news, assigning, collecting, writing and editing stories.

classified advertising - ads set in small type that are grouped together under headings to form a section of the newspaper.

clip art – illustrations, often used in advertisements and promotions, provided to newspapers through a subscription service.

color – used by newspapers to appeal to readers and/or call attention to certain parts or pages of the newspaper; spot color allows newspapers to use color in some parts but not all of the paper; mixing shades of blue, red, yellow and black; more precisely the mixing of four colors (CMYK) or cyan, magenta, yellow and key (or black), requiring multiple plates and costing more to print.

column - the arrangement of horizontal lines of type in the newspaper to facilitate reading; also a story expressing the personal experience and/or opinion of its writer, the columnist.

column inch - space measurement, one column wide by one inch deep.

columnist – someone local who writes for the newspaper and whose head shot (photo) and name appear with what he/she writes or someone whose column is syndicated, purchased by the newspaper for publication and whose head shot (photo) and name appear with his/her column.

*comments – readers’ responses to what is read or viewed on a newspaper’s or other’s website; often not signed, unlike letters to the editor, which must be signed; not approved or edited before readers post but may be removed when comments fail to meet standards set by the newspaper; responses linked to a Facebook page, which identifies the writer, when the links is required for posting on a newspaper’s website.

commentary – opinions often expressed in editorials, letters to the editor and/or columns of all kinds; evaluation or editorial.

*community blogs – any blog that addresses community issues; a website that engages members of the community in an online conversation, such as an exchange about topics and/or events of importance hosted and/or led by one or more members of a community rather than trained journalists; or postings to a blog led by a citizen through which community members tell their stories; or postings by a citizen on community issues that a newspaper links to; or postings about community issues led and/or organized by a journalist.

 

compositor - a typesetter or pressman who arranged text and images on a board for printing before newspapers adopted electronic pagination.

confidential source - someone who gives information to a reporter with the understanding his/her identity will never be revealed, even in a court of law.

copy - any material ready to be put into printed form.

copyright - an author’s or publication’s exclusive right of property for the work the person or organization produces.

copy editor - a newspaper worker who corrects or edits copy written by a reporter and writes headlines; also someone who may layout or design pages.

copy read - to check the copy for correct journalistic style and accuracy of facts.

correspondent - a reporter not a regular staffer, working in a location different from the place where the newspaper is published or produced and often on a particular assignment.

credit line - a line of type that provides the name, title and/or organization that serves as source of the information.

crop - to eliminate portions of copy or photos by reducing the size.

cub reporter - a reporter who is relatively new and inexperienced.

cut - a photograph
.

cutline - identifying information that appears under photographs or illustrations, answering key questions, such as who, what, when and where; often referred to as a caption, a more familiar term.

D

dateline - the opening words of a story, usually in bold type, giving the physical location of the reporter when he/ she submitted the story or the location when the reporter gathered information for the story; opening words that provide location (and sometimes date) where the reporter submitted and/or the newspaper published the story.

deadline - a time when a particular story or all copy for an edition must be submitted.

deck - a single line of a headline, one or more columns wide; a headline directly beneath another headline (subhead).

desk - stations for producing and editing stories about various areas of coverage, such as the city desk, the state desk and the copy desk.

developing story – a story that readers follow; a series on people, places, events and/or issues; ongoing coverage that focuses on effects of actions, different perspectives, behind the scene happenings and more.

display advertising - ads of various sizes appearing throughout the newspaper that make use of varied type styles and sizes, art and photographs.

*digital - electronic technology that processes data, using computers and other devices (satellite, fiber optic) to convert information experienced in analog into digital format (expressed as 0 and 1); dots that make up newspaper photos (digital) create continuous images that viewers see (example).

 

doubletruck – two side by side pages of an open newspaper that contain related content; ads or other content that run across both pages.

downstyle - a headline style in which capitalization is limited, usually  to the first letter in a headline and proper nouns.

dummy - a reduced- size diagram of a newspaper page, showing the placement of stories, headlines and photos; a layout that shows where items will/should appear.

E

ears – small space at the top of the front page on each side of the newspaper’s name, used for short reports, such as today’s weather, index, circulation figures or special features inside the newspaper.

edit - to review copy and change to fit into the available space and/ or make the meaning of the text clearer to the reader.

edition – a version of the newspaper, generally one press run; also a reference to the format of a paper, such as the digital edition.

editor - a person who corrects and revises copy; also, a person in a supervisory position in the newsroom, such as the city editor, managing editor, executive editor or features editor.

editorial - a statement of opinion or commentary, reflecting the publisher’s and/or owner’s position, which appears on the editorial page, usually written in the third person and located on the left side of the page.

editorial or political cartoon – drawn commentary or opinion on current news, relying often on caricatures and other representations or exaggerations and using few words; located on the editorial page and/or opposite editorial page and often collected and featured on websites.

*e-edition or electronic edition - e-Paper or replica version of a newspaper; also a searchable PDF edition of a complete, printed newspaper, which appears on screen as a smaller scale version of the print edition, taking advantage of what’s produced for the print edition, while offering ways to navigate, search and interact with text that are associated with websites.

 

end roll - the part of the paper left on a roll when the press completes its run, often made available free or at reduced cost to the public.

expert – a person who demonstrates specialized knowledge of a subject, gained through education, training and/or experience; a knowledgeable person who is interviewed for a story or stories or who writes opinions, offers explanatory information and/or submits guest columns for publication in the newspaper.

expose - a story that uncovers corruption or poor conditions and includes information that is generally difficult to obtain; also called an investigative report.

EXTRA – a newspaper or section published to address a special situation or events, often extraordinary in scope and consequence, adding to the regular newspapers.

F

fair use – a legal term that refers to the use of copyrighted material without payment.

feature - a story in which the interest lies in something other than the news value.

filler - extra material to fill up space.

First Amendment – freedoms and rights guaranteed in the first of 10 amendments in the Bill of Rights, part of the U.S. Constitution, specifically, freedom of speech, religion and press, the right to petition the government for redress of grievances and the right to assemble peaceably.

five Ws (5Ws) - who, what, when, where and why (sometimes H for how); the main questions a reporter asks and answers when following up and writing opening paragraphs of a straight news story; key questions addressed in any complete story.

flush left - every line is set next to the left margin.

flag(s) - the newspaper’s name (logo) on the front page; the name of other pages and/or sections of the newspaper, appearing at the top of pages and sections, such as Classifieds, Sports, Opinion, etc.,
 to help direct readers to content.

follow-up story - a story that adds more information to one already printed.

folios - page numbers.

folio tabs - words placed beside the page number identifying the page content.  

font – typeface, in associated sizes.

format - the size, shape, style and general appearance of a publication, applied to newspapers as print, e-edition, website, tablet or other format.

 

four-color (4-color) – when a color is needed, a slide is separated into the basic colors of red, yellow, blue and black (CMYK).

 

G

general assignment reporter - a reporter who is not assigned a specific area of coverage and often writes news features.

graf – an abbreviation for or shortened reference to paragraph.

*graphic designer – an individual trained in visual communication who uses font, space, images and other to create messages; often trained to use Adobe Suite and other advanced design tools.

 

gutter - the margin between facing pages where the fold lies; white space around photos and text that makes layout more appealing.

H

hammerhead – a vertical headline. (http://www.real-world-solutions.org/calvin/html/newsterm.htm)

hard news – straight news that focuses primarily on the available facts of an event or situation and makes the key facts easy to find by placing them in the opening paragraphs of a story.

headline - the large type above a story, usually a main idea statement that includes a noun and verb.

hole - missing information or unanswered questions in a story.

homepage – the front page of a newspaper’s website that includes navigation bars and links that invite readers to read more of a story.

hook – anecdotes, questions, quotes and other that reporters use to make their stories more appealing to readers and draw them into the stories.

*host – a web service or server that allows individuals and organizations to make their websites accessible via the World Wide Web.  (Wikipedia)

 

human-interest story – a feature story that tells a story in a way that appeals to emotions.

 

I

informational graphics or infographics  – visual presentation of news, information or data in charts, graphs, maps and other illustrations.

inserts - an advertisement that is printed apart from the regular press run, usually by an independent printer, then “inserted” among the regular newspaper sections.

*interactive whiteboard – a large display panel that shows text and images projected from a computer and allows content to be manipulated by the user; used with digital newspapers to project content from the paper onto screens and engage readers through modeling and collaborative learning.

 

interview - a face-to-face or telephone conversation with a person, in which the reporter asks questions to obtain information for a story.

invasion of privacy - a legal claim or charge that a news story revealed personal information that should not be made public.

inverted pyramid - the basic organization of a news story, in which the most important information comes first and the least important details follow; often answers 5W and H (how) questions in opening paragraph(s).

investigative reporter - a reporter skilled in uncovering information, particularly information that an individual or organization attempts to conceal.

*iPad – a popular tablet developed with an interface much like other Apple products, such as the IPod touch and iPhone; flat screen, portable, smaller than but much like a laptop computer. (pcmag.com)

 

J

journalism - the gathering, writing, editing and delivery of current news and information; pursuing multiple sources, verifying facts and providing ongoing coverage. See “Principles of Journalism” here: http://www.journalism.org/resources/principles-of-journalism/

jump - to continue a story from one page to another.

jump line - the line at the end of part of a story that tells readers where to find more of a story.

jump head - a head that is used as a continuation of a story from another page.  It is shorter than the main headline and is usually just a key word or an abbreviated headline.

justified type – a way to space lines of type so that the right margin is even.

K

kicker - a short heading in smaller type, above the main headline of a story.

kernel - a summary statement in a feature story.

kill - to take out copy or type that is not to be printed; to decide not to run a story or a portion of a story.

L

label - a one- or two-word term, which gives the subject or content of the story but does not include a verb.

layout - the arrangement of copy, art and headlines on a page.

lead - the first few sentences of a story; in a straight news story, usually answering who, what, when and where questions; infrequently but historically spelled “lede.”

leading - the amount of space between lines.

leak - to give information to the press on the sly, without approval from the organizations or individuals involved.

legacy media – print newspapers, TV and radio, which are traditional tools for communicating and expressing ideas that existed before the advent of the Internet.

 

libel - the publication of a statement that hurts unjustly the reputation of a person or organization; to be libelous, the statement must be false and published, the person must be identifiable and defamed. Public officials carry a greater burden of truth to prove unjust harm to reputation.

*link - way to enter a website by simply clicking on the site name or designation; a code or instruction that connects one part of a program or an element in a list to another.

logo - the name of a newspaper or section set in a distinctive style so as to be easily recognized; a distinctive design bearing the name or trademark of a company or business.

lowercase - non-capitalized letters.

M

mainbar – the anchor text or most important story in a group of related stories. (http://www.real-world-solutions.org/calvin/html/newsterm.htm)

main headline - the largest, boldest headline on the front page of a print edition, designating the lead or most important story as chosen by the editors; generally located above the fold of the newspaper on the front page (and/or other section fronts).

make-up or layout – page creation which involves the arrangement of photos, graphics, stories, headlines and subheads into columns and onto pages in preparation for printing; also accomplished through electronic pagination.

managing editor - the editor who directs the gathering and editing of the news and is responsible for all news that appears in the newspaper.

mash up - a mixture or fusion of different elements.

 

masthead - the formal statement of a paper’s name, officers, point of publication and other information, usually found on the editorial page.

*metered services (also called pay-per-use) - any type of payment structure in which a customer has access to potentially unlimited resources but only pays for what they actually use. (whatis.techtarget.com)

 

*mobile – a reference to cell phones, handheld computers, and similar, portable technology.

 

morgue – files where already-published news stories and photos are kept for reference; also archived stories, digitized and searchable in electronic editions.

muckraking - searching out and publicly exposing real or apparent misconduct of a prominent individual or business; a critical term first used by Theodore Roosevelt in a speech; took on a positive connotation, referring to the actions of pre-World War I journalists who acted out of social concern, reporting on the hardships caused by the expansion of big business in the United States.

N

nameplate - the name of the paper, the person or company that publishes it, the date and volume, all located at the top of the front page.

national advertising - ads placed by agencies for clients that sell goods and services on across the country or region.

navigation tools – parts of the newspaper that help readers locate information, such as the index,  section headings, headlines, anchored features and jump lines; also called text features, common to informational text.

*navigation bar – one or more sections of a website or online page intended to direct visitors through the document; sections and/or categories, horizontal, along the side and/or at bottom of all webpages on a site.   (Wikipedia).

 

negative - a photographic image in which the values of the original copy are reversed, so that the dark areas appear light and vice versa.

*new media – communication tools developed after the development of the Internet; generally, refers to on-demand access to content anytime, anywhere, on any digital device, as well as interactive user feedback, and creative participation; real-time, unregulated content.

 

news analysis - a story which interprets or analyzes events in the news, rather than simply reporting on the events.

news hole - the amount of space in the newspaper available for news and feature photos and stories; the amount of space left over for news after the ads have been placed on the page in a print edition.

newsprint - the uncoated, machine-finished paper on which newspapers are printed.

newsstand - a location where a single copy account sells individual papers over the counter or at a stand or kiosk.

Newspapers in Education (NIE) – the effort of a newspaper to reach young readers by providing access to print and/or digital editions of the newspaper; often based in schools and/or homes; renamed News in Education and other, as newspapers shift to digital publication.

nut graf or paragraph - a summary or explanatory statement or paragraph in a story that explains its significance.

O

obituaries (obits)  – details about the life of a deceased person published near the time of death, generally paying tribute to the person and including funeral arrangements and requests for contributions made by or on the person’s half; friends or family members write and pay for long obits; shorter obits come from funeral homes.

“off the record” information not intended for publication or attribution to the person who provided the information.

op-ed page - the page opposite the editorial page; in larger newspapers, devoted to the opinions of syndicated columnists and others.

offset - a printing method in which the plate transfers the image to be printed onto an intermediate surface called a “blanket”, which then comes in direct contact with the paper.

P

pagination - the computerized process by which a newspaper is laid out and/or pages are created.

*paywall – a system that restricts access to a newspaper’s online content; often allows readers to access a certain number of stories before they must pay or subscribe.

 

PDF – acronym for “Portable Document File” developed by Adobe Systems that allows for easy delivery and receipt of information.

peg - a timely link or reason for publishing a story.

photocaption – a headline for a photo’s cutline and/or a headline for a standalone photo that appears in the newspaper, in large, often a label, in bold text.

photocomposition - a method of printing that relies on photographic means of producing engravings and plates.

pica - a basic unit of measurement, six pica's equal one inch.

plagiarism - passing off as one’s own, the ideas and words of another or others.

plate - an aluminum sheet that the negative is transferred to so that it can be run on the press.

*platform - a standard for the hardware of a computer system, determining what kinds of software it can run.

 

*plug-in - applications that add functions, easily installed and used as part of a Web browser.  (whatis.techtarget.com)

 

pop-up – an ad or window that “pops up” or opens up automatically on a computer screen.

press conference - a meeting called by a public figure for the purpose of addressing the questions of the news media.

press release - a statement submitted to newspapers and other news media by an organization or individual to announce an event, promote an organization or offer comment.

press run - total number of copies printed of one edition.

*privacy – reference to not being observed or disturbed by other people; a legal term, “right to privacy,” that questions how an individual can be tracked, particularly through digital systems of communication.

 

process colors - process of red, yellow and blue inks used separately or mixed.

profile - any story that provides an in-depth look at an individual.

proof - a page on which newly-set copy is reproduced to make possible the correction of errors.

proofreader - someone who reads proof pages and marks errors to correct.

public figure - a person who, by virtue of his position or vocation or actions, is in the limelight, such as a politician, a high-ranking public official, an entertainer or an activist; a person with wide-spread fame or notoriety or special prominence.

public record - official government records required by law to be open to public scrutiny, such as budgets, salaries, bids, births, deaths, marriages and arrests.

publisher - the chief executive and sometimes owner of the newspaper.

put the paper to bed - when the paper heads to press and the newsroom has signed off all pages.

Q

quarterfold - taking the standard or broadsheet size of the newspaper and folding it into quarters, usually stitched and trimmed.

quote – spoken words, attributed by the writer to the person who made them.

R

rack - a metal stand where print editions of newspapers are sold, placed in front of businesses or on street corners.

rail – briefs on page one that list and summarize some stories that run inside the newspaper; a group of teasers to call attention to specific stories inside the paper . (http://www.real-world-solutions.org/calvin/html/newsterm.htm)

readership – all people who read newspapers, whether in print and/or online, and includes those who buy and others who read the newspaper.

records – section of  a newspaper, print or digital, that reports births, deaths, legal information and police blotter.

register marks - cross-hairs generally used to register one negative to the other for color registering.

retail advertisement - an ad for a company that has goods and/or services to sell; also called display advertising.

review – commentary about a book and/or artistic event, offering an incomplete summary and a critical evaluation, which is the opinion of the writer.

roll-end - the part of the paper left on the roll after the press completes its run; often made available free or at reduced cost to the public.

R.O.P. (run-of-paper) - denotes advertising that appears within the newspaper itself, instead of in separate or pull-out sections.

*RSS an acronym used to describe the standard for the syndication of Web content; used widely to distribute news headlines on the Web; Real Site Summary. (webopedia.com)

 

S

Sans serif – readable font, recommended because the font avoids the use of fine strokes on ends of letters/ characters and the use of sharp contrast in strokes.

scoop - an exclusive story, obtained before a competitor prints it.

Serif – font that uses contrasting lines and cross strokes on ends of letters/ characters, which makes the font harder to read.

sidebar – a secondary story, photo or graphic on the topic of a main story, which may include background information, an anecdote and/ or a profile related to main story.

single copy – a copy of the newspaper purchased from a rack or retailer’s counter, not part of a subscription.

skybox - words and graphics that encourage readers to read stories inside the newspaper; located above the name of the newspaper on the front page.

slander – spoken statement and/or gesture, not recorded or published, that defames or hurts unjustly the reputation of an person or organization.

*social media - an array of media or Facebook-type networks, such as Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, Wikis and other online communities, that allow for online communication and encourage conversation among those who sign on to the network; used by reporters to  communicate quickly with each other and/or their readers and to update news on the newspapers’ websites.

 

soft lead - a feature-style lead intended to entice readers into stories; colorful, dramatic opening paragraph in contrast to straight news leads that answer who, what, when and where questions.

source - a supplier of information, such as a person or publication.

staff writer - a writer employed by the newspaper that prints his story.

straight news story - a story that deals only with the objective details of an event or occasion; a hard news story.

stringer - a newspaper correspondent, not someone on the regular staff of a newspaper, esp. one retained on a part-time basis to report on events in a particular place.

 

subheads – a heading or title that appears below the larger headline and above the story; along with the larger headline, summarizes and/or offers the main idea of the story.

syndicate - an association which buys and sells stories, features, columns, editorials and other materials for publication in newspapers.

syndicated features - material such as comics, advice and opinion columns, puzzles and games etc. supplied nationally to newspapers by sources/companies often called news syndicates.

T

*tablet – flat screen computer with a full operating system that makes news accessible; larger than a mobile telephone and smaller than a computer, with touch and stylus capabilities.

tabloid - the standard size of the newspaper folded into half; also, but not necessarily, referring to style and content of reporting in a newspaper (tabloid or sensational stories).

tags – categorizing text or data to help identify information related to a topic.

 

teaser – an item, such as a rail, that promotes reading more of a story; also publishing that increases interest in items featured inside the newspaper or on the newspaper’s website.

 

theme - a line of thought, specific subject or design, which runs through a publication to unify it and give the reader a continuing idea or pattern to follow, especially useful in a feature section.

tip - an idea for a story.

top story - the story that usually appears at the top of the front page on the right hand side, considered by editors to be the most important story of the day
;  if extraordinary in scope, topped by a banner headline.

tube - a plastic receptacle with an open end for a carrier to deliver the paper.


 

*tweet - a posting on Twitter, a social networking site that limits messages to 140 characters.

 

*twitter - an online social networking and micro-blogging service that enables users to send and read short 140-character text messages, called "tweets," requiring registration to read and post but not to read tweets. (Wikipedia) http://www2.uncp.edu/home/acurtis/NewMedia/Twitter/TwitterArticles.html

 

two-source rule - the standard set by investigative reporters; a fact should be confirmed by at least two sources before reporting it.

typeface – font, such as Helvetica, Times News Roman, Cambria and others that can be chosen from a dropdown bar, usually standardized in any publication.

typo - slang for typographical error, a mistake made by hitting the wrong key of the keyboard or unintended omission or substitution of words or phrases.

U

undercover – gathering news without disclosing purpose of investigation.

unattributed sources - sources who provide information with the understanding that their names will not be used in the story.

V

*video – filmed news that appear on newspapers’ websites and other digital products that newspapers produce.

 

*videographer - a person who makes videos (films, moving pictures) with a portable, handheld camera; person such as photojournalist or reporter who creates videos, published on newspapers’ websites to show what happened instead of or in addition to a written account and photographs. (dictionary.com)

 

W

Web 2.0 - the second stage of development of the World Wide Web, characterized esp. by the change from static web pages to dynamic or user-generated content and the growth of social networking.

 

website - a location connected to the Internet that maintains one or more pages on the World Wide Web.

 

white space - space in ads that is without copy; used to improve the visual quality of ads.

widow - a line of type having only one word or part of a word at the top of a column.

wire service - a national or international news service that distributes news and photographs by means of wire communication, ex: Associated Press.

WordPress - free and open source blogging tool and a content management system, which requires a web hosting service. Features include a plug-in architecture and a template system. (Wikipedia)

 

Y

yellow journalism – coined phrase that came into use during newspaper wars between Hearst and Pulitzer in the 1896, making reference to the cartoon character, Pulitzer’s “Yellow Kid;” commonly used to refer to reporting intended to sway readers or sensationalist journalism that exploits, distorts or exaggerates the news to attract readers and beat the competition.

 

E-edition Terms

 

E-editions or electronic-editions, also called e-Papers, are digital versions or replicas of print editions. E-editions are searchable PDFs of current and archived print editions that allow users to manipulate text and stories that appear in the newspaper.

 

Newspapers that offer e-editions or e-Papers usually provide instructions on how to navigate the digital edition through tutorials available when you sign up and log in to the e-edition.

 

archive – stored editions of the newspaper to provide for long-term digital preservation, accessible online and  searchable by date, topic, word, type of story or ad.

 

e-editions - digital replica of printed newspapers, stored in archive and accessible online.

 

e-notify or email alert - way for users to receive stories by email on a topic when  the stories are published.

 

fit to page – a way to quickly decrease the newspaper size to view the entire page or spread.

 

fit to width - a way to quickly increase the newspaper size to view a page or spread close-up.

 

login – signing in to gain access to the e-edition by entering a username and password.

 

double page mode - a feature that allows the user to view the e-edition as a full spread (double truck) or two pages that are published beside each other.

 

single page mode - a feature that allows the user to view the e-edition one page at a time.

 

listen - a feature that allows the user to have the content read aloud by the computer; a feature that allows a  user to select content, click the listen icon and hear passage read aloud.

 

paper - view the content exactly how it appears in the printed version of the newspaper.

 

search functions – allows users to enter key word and pull up stories that include the word or topic, in current and/or back issues; also allows users to read papers published on recent days; advanced search opens access to the archive and open editions of newspapers produced in the past.

 

Table of Contents –in an e-edition, the listing of sections that allows users to move from section to section by clicking on its name in the Table of Contents.

 

thumbnail – smaller graphical representation of a larger piece of content, such as a page of a newspaper.

 

text – a view of the content of a news item in plain text.

 

social share - send content to another user via social networks including Facebook and Twitter.

 

translate - a feature that allows the user to read the content in a language other than English.

 

zoom in - increase the size of text or story in increments.

 

zoom out - decrease the size of text or story in increments.

 

To learn more about newspapers’ e-editions, visit http://nnaweb.org/nna-news?articleTitle=9-things-about-e-editions-to-consider--1391534496--752--pub-aux-stories

 

Technology Companies

 

Facebook community page - a page that allows people with similar interests (fans) to connect, administered by Facebook or users, not to be confused with webpages created by businesses and other organizations.

 

Facebook groups - pages that you create within Facebook that are based around a real-life interest or group or to declare an affiliation or association with people and things. With a Facebook Group, you are creating a community of people and friends to promote, share and discuss a relevant topic. (webopedia.com)

 

Facebook page - a public profile created by businesses, organizations, celebrities and anyone seeking to promote themselves publicly through social media, attracting fans, not friends and updating frequently and using video, RSS feeds and other to promote the person or serve the purpose of the page; a marketing platform supported by Facebook.

Google - an American multinational corporation specializing in Internet-related services and products. Those include search, cloud computing, software and online advertising technologies. Most of its profits are derived from AdWords. (Wikipedia)

 

Google AdWords – Google’s advertising service for businesses wanting to display ads and join its advertising network; businesses budget for advertising and only pay when people click the ads. (webopedia.com)

 

Instagram – site for sharing photos and videos that allows no embedded links, used by newspapers to build brand, not for making money. (http://instagram.com/)

(http://www.americanpressinstitute.org/need-to-know/shareable/newspapers-instagram/)

 

Olive - one company that has built and maintains a platform for newspapers to publish an e-edition. (www.olivesoftware.com)

 

Olive ActivePaper Daily (APD) and SaaS (Software as a Service) - e-publishing service and browser-based viewer used to produce replica e-editions for numerous newspaper titles.

 

Scribd – an online publishing company. (Wikipedia)

 

Storify – storytelling service that allows journalists and other users to create a narrative or new story, using collected updates from social networks and other content. (https://storify.com/)

 

Tecnavia – an e-publishing company that offers newspapers an e-edition platform. (www.tecnavia.com/eedition/)

 

Town News – publishing platform for web, print, mobile and social media offered to newspapers. (www.townnews365.com)

 

Compiled April 10, 2014