Action: Go to the Town!

Dehon Jyothi Boys in the Town

On August 25, 2008, we, Dehon Jyothi community, had a special program. Soon after lunch, we were sending our boys to go to town of Aluva, in several places two by two. They went to Railway Station, Bus Stations, Market Place, Shopping Areas and so on. It was a program of journalistic course.

The main purpose is to get and to collect some information about important places in Aluva and any person, in order to learn how to create report and feature for press. Beside of that, they can be at once learning another reality. They could see the reality of people with all kind of their struggling of life. They had chances and challenges also, how to communicate or to talk with people who did not know each other wisely and politely, so that they could get proper material for creating of feature.

Before they went to town, we motivated them to be aware that journalistic can a good alternative of ministry for the future. Media communication is more and more becoming important. “Preaching in the church will be receipt by 100-500 people; while ‘preaching’ in the newspapers or other media communication will be reaching people more than thousand people. Somehow, if we are unable to send message through media communication is like a bird without one wing.

Here are some materials for learning of Journalistic.

HOW TO WRITE A FORMAL REPORT:

An event has occurred or an event is being planned. You wish to send an official report to the press or to a magazine. Here are some important tips you will need to keep in mind.

1. The kind of report that is required for a press release must be short and to the point.
2. The very first paragraph must contain all the essential information. Essential information answers the following questions: who, what, when, why, where, how.
3. Thus news reports have an inverted pyramid structure. The non-essentials can come at the end.▼
4. The style of the report must be factual and objective. Use the third person throughout the text. Do not use emotive words, or draw your personal conclusions. If you wish to manifest your personal preference you may do so only in the conclusion.
5. The front pages of newspapers provide ample examples in report writing. This can be studied before you write you press release.
6. Photographs are useful because they help to documents the event and give your report veracity. Whenever you can, accompany a press release with a photograph.



HOW TO WRITE A FEATURE:

Reports can sometimes curd creativity. You would like to suggest your own opinion, add more flourish and colour to your article. What you are looking for is a feature.

1. The feature is the opposite of a report. It is pyramidical in structure. There is a gradual development of a central theme. The emphasis is on language, style, the choice of imagery and vocabulary.▲
2. Above all the feature expresses the opinion of the author. This is missing in a report, although reports can be slanted to express the bias of the reporter.
3. The topic for a feature can be just anything, from an event, to an object or a person.
4. More serious features are based on analysis. They are often investigative in nature. They present issues discussed in their correction to events, situations and persons in society.
5. The editorial in a newspaper is a classical example of a serious piece of feature-writing.