Lesson 1: The United States Has within It Forces Which Create both Unity and Diversity


A Crossroads Resource

Newspaper Vocabulary

Adprinted notice of something for sale (short for advertisement)
APabbreviation for the Associated Press, a wire service
Assignmentthe event or situation a reporter is supposed to report on coming directly from the speaker's mouth
Balloona drawing usually in a comic strip which makes words appear to be coming directly from the speaker's mouth
Bannera headline that runs across the entire page Body; the main part of a story
Bold Faceheavy or dark type Box border around any story or photo
Bylinethe reporter's name which appears at the head of a news or picture story
Columnista person who writes a regular column giving a personal opinion
Copyall material used for publication
Copy Editorthe person who edits news stories and writes headlines
Credit Linethe name of a photographer or artist below a piece of art
Cutlineexplanatory information under a picture or piece of art; also called a caption
Datelinewords at the beginning of a story that give the story's place of origin
Editto correct and prepare copy for publication
Editora person who decides what stories will be covered, assigns reporters to stories, improves the stories that reporters write, and decides where stories will appear in the newspaper
Editorialan article expressing the opinion of the newspaper editor or management
Featurea news story that may not have late-breaking news value, but is timely and of interest to readers
Fillera story with little news value used to fill up space
Flagthe newspaper's name as it appears at the top of the first page; also known as the logotype or nameplate
Hard Newsurgent news, usually of a serious nature, found in the front pages of a newspaper
Headlinewords in large type at the top of a story telling what the story is about; also called head Inverted form for a news story where the important facts are listed first and additional Pyramid details follow
Lead(pronounced "leed") the first paragraph or two of a news story, telling who, what, where, when, why, and how
Obitshort for obituary, a death notice
Op-eda page opposite the editorial page, where opinions by guest writers are presented
Reporterperson sent to gather information and write a news story for the newpaper
Scoopa story obtained before other newspapers receive the information
UPIabbreviation for United Press International, a wire service
Wire Servicea news agency which sends out news stories from around the world to subscribing newpapers