AB

Abbreviation for Audit Bureau of circulation, an organization that compliles statistics on circulations

Ad

Advertisement

Advance

A preliminary story concerning a future event

Advertising

Commercial messages that announce merchandise or services for sale. The messages are printed in Newspaper space paid for by the Advertiser.

Ad flow

Refers to the computer system that shuffles classified Ads within their categories so that they fit best on a page.

Agate

Type 5 ½ points in depth, the smallest ordinarily used in newspapers ( 72 points equals one inch). Usually used for sports statistics.

Agate line

A measurement that is one column in width and 1/14 of an inch deep.

Angle

The approach or perspective from which a news fact or event is viewed, or the emphasis chosen for a story.

Associated Press (AP)

A cooperative, world wide news gathering service.

ACNA

Atlantic Community Newspapers Association, A Trade Association whose members all publish community (weekly) Newspapers in Atlantic Canada.

Assignment

Any news – gathering task given to a reporter.

Backgrounder

i) A meeting with the press in which a source gives a information not for publication.

ii) Informative, factual story that relates the history or background of current news even in order to aid audience understanding.

Balloon

A cartoon device, used in comic strips and occasionally in other ways, that shows the words of a person coming directly from his mouth into the "ballon".

Bank

i) Lower portion of a headline.

ii) Computer file in which stories are kept before that placed in their designated page form.

Banner

A headline stretching across the top of a page; also called a "streamer" or a "banner line".

Beat

A Reporter’s regular assignment, such as town council beat, police beat.

Binding

Any further treatment of stock after printing; includes cutting, folding, trimming, gathering, stitching and gluing.

Bleed

An illustration filling one or more margins and running off the edge of the page or borders; used frequently in magazines and advertisements.

Blind ad

A classified ad that does not reveal the identity of the advertiser; responses are generally sent to a P.O. box.

Blind Interview

An interview story in which the interviewed person is not disclosed; e.g. a "highly placed official", " a source close to the mayor", etc.

Blow up

i) To play a story beyond its news value.

ii) To enlarge something (photo, art, ….

Body type

Type used in stories, not in headlines; generally under 12 – point size; opposite of display type.

Boil or Boil down

An expression for condensing news copy.

Bold or Boldface

Heavy or dark-faced type. This is boldfaced.

Border

Boxes or frames around picture, stories and advertisements. Borders or computer generated and are available in many different styles.

Box

Refers to type that is framed in a border to give it prominence. The box is sometimes "filled" with a shaded area.

Break

i) The point at which a story turns from one column to another or "jumps" to another page.

ii) The time when a story becomes available for publication. News is said to "break" when it happens.

Bumped heads

Similar headlines running side by side that create monotony and the tendency to read across.

Byline

The author’s name carried at the top of a story.

Camera

A large camera shoots a picture of each page ones it is completely finished. The negative of the picture is used to create a "plate" that is used on the press. This process has been largely replaced by computers which place the image directly on the "plate" making the negative obsolete.

Camera – ready

Refers to any thing that is in its finished form – no further changes are needed before it is published in the paper.

Canned copy

Term applied to publicity material sent by press agents.

Caption

Headline or text accompanying a picture or illustration; also called a cutline.

CCAB

Canadian Circulation Audit Bureau, an organization that compiles statistics on circulation.

CCNA

Canadian Community Newspaper Association, a trade association whose members are all the regional newspaper associations in Canada representing community ( weekly) newspapers.

Circulation

The total number of a publication distributed to subscribers and vendors in one day.

City editor

The Editor in charge of the collection, writing and editing of local news.

Classified advertising

Advertising arranged according to the product or service advertised, and usually restricted in size and format. The ads are "classified" into various categories such as help wanted, autos for sale, apartments for rent, etc.

Clean copy

Copy requiring few corrections.

Clean proof

A proof requiring few corrections

Clip

Abbreviation for a clipping from a newspaper or from the files of the newspaper’s library.

CNA

Canadian Newspaper Association, a trade association whose members publish daily newspapers in Canada.

Colour

"colouring a story" implies introducing an element of bias or editorial point of view. "Giving a story colour" means brightening the story with human interest material.

Column

i) Area on a news page usually 10 to 14 picas wide or 8 picas wide on a classified page.

ii) Article appearing regularly, written by a writer or "columnist".

Column inch

A unit of measurement one inch deep and one column wide.

Columnist

A writer using the same space daily, such as Ann Landers, in contrast to a reporter.

Compose

To type copy into a computer file.

Composition

The overall appearance of a newspaper page.

Community Newspaper

Refers to Newspapers that publish local news, advertising an opinion, monthly, weekly or several times a week but less than everyday.

Condensed type

Type with characters that are narrower than those of standard width, permitting more character per line.

Copy

i) All written material

ii) Reproducing materials using a photocopier.

Copy desk

The desk where copy is edited, headlined and placed on the page it will appear in the newspaper.

Copy Editor or Copy reader

A person who corrects or edits copy written by reporters, checks stories for accuracy.

Copyediting or Copyreading

Correcting, improving and making copy to be printed.

Copyright

Legal protection of an author’s exclusive right his /her work for a specified period of time.

Correspondent

A Reporter assigned to cover work away from the home office in another community, province or country. A "string" correspondent is not a full – time employee of the newspaper, and is paid according to the quantity of copy accepted by the newspaper.

Cover

To get all the available news about an event

Credit line or Photo credit

A photographer’s byline. The name of the person or organization responsible for making or distributing a photograph, usually appearing small type under the reproduced picture.

Crop

To change the composition of a picture by cutting part of it out. A picture may be cropped to remove undesired background, to create more impact or to adjust the photograph to available space on the printed page.

Crusade

A newspaper campaign to bring about a desired reform or improvement.

Cub

A beginning Reporter

Cut

i) Noun – a drawing or illustration usually copied off computer disk libraries.

ii) Verb – to reduce the length of a story.

Cutline

The copy (usually only a few lines ) that accompanies and gives necessary information about a picture or "cut".

Daily

Refers to newspapers that print a new newspaper each day.

Deadline

The last moment to get copy in for an edition.

Deck

A "Bank" or section of a headline.

Dingbat

Typographic decorative device such as a star or heart.

Display Ad

Advertising matter other than in column classified ads. They usually have a border.

Downstyle

Capitalizing only the first word and proper nouns in headlines.

Drop

i) Short for "drop head", a headline accompanying a streamer and based on the same story.

ii) A story that was planned to run and then didn’t.

Dummy

A diagram or layout of a newspaper page showing the position each story, picture, headline and advertisement is to have.

Ears

Space at the top of the front page on each side of the newspaper’s name where ads, weather news, index to pages or announcement of special features appears.

Edition

A press run of a newspaper. A large city daily generally has more than one edition a day – for example, "City Edition, "Provincial Edition, "Early Edition, " Late Edition."

Editorial

i) An article that expresses the opinion of the newspaper’s editors and usually also reflects the opinion of the publisher or owner of the newspaper.

ii) The department of the newspaper where news is gathered, written, edited and readied for publication.

Editorial cartoon

Cartoon that expresses an opinion about a news personality, issue or event.

Editorialize

To express an opinion in a news story or a headline. Editorializing in the news column is not considered good journalism.

Em

Unit of measuring column widths. An em (for the letter M) is a square of any given size of type, and is most frequently used as the unit in measuring "pica" ( the width of an em in 12 – point type).

Exchanges

Copies of newspapers received by a paper when it exchanges subscriptions with other papers. Some large newspapers have an exchange editor to scan these papers.

Exclusive

A story printed by only one paper; a scoop.

Extended type

Type with characters that are wider or have more space between them then those of standard width; fewer characters can be used in a line.

ExM……

An edition other than a regular one. Today it is published only when an event of transcending news importance warrants it.

Face

The style of type.

Feature

i) noun – any story that has human interest value, even though it is not news in the strict sense.

ii) Verb – to give prominence to a story or to emphasize a particular angle of a story.

File

To send news by wire; also use to designate one day’s output by a press association.

Filler

Short informational stories or advertisement, usually timeless, used to fill small spaces where needed.

First – day story

A story published for the first time and dealing with something that has just happened, as distinguished from a "follow up" story.

Five W’s

Who? What? When? Where? Why? The question usually answered in the lead of a news story.

Flag

The printed title (i.e., name and logo) of a newspaper at the top of the front page)

Flash

The first brief bulletin from a press association with information about an important news event.

Flush

Even with the column margin. Type set "flush" has no indentation for paragraphs.

Folio

Newspaper name, date and page number that appear at the top of each page.

Follow – up

Story giving later developments of an event already reported.

Font

A complete assortment of type of a given design, style and size.

Four – colour process

A printing process that reproduces a full range of colours by overprinting red, yellow, blue and black (the true colours are magenta, yellow, cyan and black).

Four estate

Traditional term for "the press" which originated in the 18th century English Parliament.

Freedom of the press

In Canada, the freedom granted in Section 1f of the Bill of Rights; in the United States, the freedom granted in Article I of the Bill of Rights.

General assignment

A Reporter who covers a varieties stories rather than a single "beat".

Ghost

A "Ghost writer" is someone who writes stories for another’s signature.

Glossy

A shiny – finished photographic print, generally easier to use than "matte – finished" prints.

Gutter

The space of margin between facing pages.

Halftone

A special way of photographing a picture so that it appears to be composed of tiny dots.

Handout

A press release; prepared material given to news people in the hope that it will be printed without change or that it will b helpful in preparing news stories, hard news, important news, straight news reporting without interpretation or background material.

Head/Header

Headline.

Headline

Display type displayed over a story summarizing the story for the reader; commonly throughout of as the largest line of type across top of newspaper calling attention to the most important story of that edition.

Hold

"Hold for release" instruction to hold a story until the editor releases it for publication.

Hook

The stylistic device used by a reporter to draw a reader into the story.

Human interest

Emotional appeal in the news. A "human interest" story, as compared with a "straight news" story, bases its appeal more on the unusual than on consequence.

Imagesetter

A computer printer capable of printing out camera ready newspaper pages (including scanned-in photographs and artwork) on paper or in negative term.

Index

Table of content of the newspaper, usually found on page1.

Insert

A flyer or a magazine that is inserted into the folded newspaper after it has been printed.

Inserted Pyramid

The standard news story structure in which facts are arranged in descending order of importance.

Issue

All the copies which a newspaper published in one day.

Jump

(1) Verb – to continue a story from one page to another.

(2) Noun – The continued material.

Jumplines

The continuation instructions of a story that is jumped to another page (Continued on page 5; Continued from page 1).

Justify

Computers add spaces between words or individual letters of type so that lines of a column are flush left and flush right.

Kicker

Small headline, often in italics and usually underlined, above and slightly to the left of the main head.

Kill

To eliminate all or parts of a story.

Layout

(1) A sketch or drawing that indicates the arrangement of pictures and copy on a printed page. Used synonymously with "dummy." (2) A combination of stories, pictures, etc., about a single subject.

Lead (pronounced "led")

The space between lines of type. This space is often altered so that stories form perfect boxes.

Lead (pronounced "lead")

(1) The first few sentences or the first paragraph of a story. (2) A tip that may lead to a story.

Libel

Publication of material that unjustly injures a person’s reputation.

Library

A newspapers collection of clippings, books, files etc.

Linotype

A computer printer that creates one line at a time.

Localize

To emphasize the local angle in an out-of-town story.

Logo

Short for "Logotype", the specific design and way a title or company name is written. Artwork often accompanies the title.

Lowercase

Small letter in contrast to capitals.

Make over

Rearrangement of stories on a page to provide for new copy or to change the position of stories.

Mark up

To put composition or editing instructions on copy or layouts.

Masthead

State of ownership, place of publication, executive personnel and other information about the newspaper, generally placed on the editorial page.

Modem

A device that uses telephone lines to transmit data from one computer to another.

Monotype

A computer printer that creates one letter at a time.

More

The word placed at the bottom of a page of copy to indicate that the story doesn’t end there – more is coming.

Lineage

The amount of advertising printed in a specific period.

Morgue

Where old newspapers, clippings, cuts and pictures are stored.

National advertising

Advertising of trademarked products that are generally sold throughout the nation.

Negative

An image that is opposite the way it will appear in paper. Dark areas appear light and light areas appear dark.

News hole

The amount of space left for news after advertisements have been arranged on the page.

Newsprint

A grade of paper made from recycled paper and wood pulp, used primarily for printing newspaper.

News services

News-gathering agencies such as Canadian press, Reuters, Associated Press or United Press International that distribute news to subscribing newspapers.

Obit or Obituary

A biography of a dead person. Sometimes "canned obits" are kept on file in the newspaper’s library to be used at the time of a prominent person’s death.

Offset Press

A printing press in which the linked image is transferred from a plate to a rubber roller, which in turn puts the link onto the paper.

Off the record

Information not for publication, or at least not attributed to the source if used as background.

Op-ed

Page of comment facing (opposite) the editorial page. Some newspapers use this page for letters to the editor, articles by columns, etc

Overtime

The caption above a photograph.

Pad

To make a story longer by using more words than are necessary.

Page one

(1) Noun – the first page of the newspaper

(2) Adjective – important, as in "page one news"

Paste up

Arts and photos used to the manually "pasted up" on a page before the technology existed to scan them into the computer and "paste up" electronically.

Pica

(1) 12-point type; (2) Unit of linear measurement equal to 1/6 of an inch (i.e., six picas = one inch.).

Pix

Abbreviation for pictures.

Plagiarism

Literary theft - Passing off as one's own work that of another person.

Plate

A plate contains the image of several pages, in multiples of 4, and is installed onto the press.

Play

The emphasis given a piece of news. A story may be "played down" or "played up"

Point

The unit of measurement in which type sizes are designed; approximately 1/72 of an inch.

Precede

Material to be printed ahead of copy already set.

Pre-date

An edition issued before its announced date of publication.

Press agent

A publicity or public relation person.

Offset press

A printing press in which the linked image is transferred from a plate to a rubber roller, which in turn puts the link onto the paper.

Press conference

Meeting called to give information to the news media.

Press release

Specially prepared statement for the news media. See handout.

Proofreading

"Proofreading" to look over items before they are printed and mark errors and changes for correction.

Proofreader

Person who reads pages and marks errors for correction.

Public relations

The art or science of developing understanding and goodwill between a person, firm or institution and the public.

Publisher

The chief executive and often the owner of a newspaper or other publishing firm.

Pull out section

A section of consecutive pages printed inside the newspaper that when removed becomes a stand-alone section, often on a special event.

Put to bed

Printer’s term meaning all the pages of an edition are completed and the presses are ready to roll.

Q and A

Copy in question and answer form, as in verbatim reports of court proceeding.

Quotes

Quotation marks. A quote is a portion of a story that consists of direct quotations.

Railroad

To rush copy through to the without careful editing.

Register

Correct placement of printing on the sheet. In color printing, register means the correct placement of each plate to the colors are laid down properly, without running "off-register"

Release

(1) Noun – Common term of a press release or publicity handout.

(2) Verb – to permit publication of a story at a specified time.

(3) Noun – In photography, a form signed by the person photographed to authorize use of the picture.

Replate

Also "makeover" to make a new plate for a page in order to correct major error or to insert an urgent story received after deadline.

Repros

Reproduction proofs – not the actual page or artwork.

Reuter

The first news gathering service, founded in Great Britain in 1849 and still in operation today.

Review

A writer’s critical evaluation of an artistic event, such as a movie or play.

Rewrite

Literally, to write again.

ROP

(1) Run-of-paper news and advertising that appears in any part of the paper convenient to the mark up of the paper.

(2) ROP Colour – A term used in advertising, means colour printed on and ordinary newspapers press.

Rough

A preliminary layout not in finished form.

Run

(1) The territory assigned regularly to a reporter; a beat.

(2) A press run, an edition. A story is "run" when it is printed

Run-around

Body of the type to be set around an odd-shaped picture, as in a feature story or a magazine.

Running story

A story that develops over a period of several days or more and is reported from day to day or week to week.

Runover

Part of a story that continues on a second page.

Sacred cow

A person, subject or institution given special favor or treatment in a newspaper.

Schedule

A news editor’s record of assignment.

Scoop

An exclusive story or photograph.

Sectional story

A major news story with different aspects, featured under two or more headlines.

Series

A group of related stories generally run on successive days or weeks.

Set

To type words into a computer file.

Shirt tail

A short, related story added at the end of a longer one.

Shoot

To take photographs.

Sidebar

A secondary news story that supports or amplifies a major story.

Skyline

A banner head that runs above the nameplate.

Slant

An angle of a story. A story is "slanted" when a certain aspect is played up for policy or other reasons.

Soft copy

Copy seen on a computer screen.

Source

Supplier of information. A person, document etc.

Spot news

News obtained on the scene of an event, usually unexpected.

Spread

The display given to an important story; a double spread is one across facing pages.

Squib

A short new item; filler.

Standing heads

Headlines that do not change and are usually kept in a library file on a computer so they are ready for instant use.

Stet

"Let it stand." Proofreader’s notation instructing the printer to ignore a change marked on a proof; from the Latin "Stetundum"

Story

The general term applied to any newspaper article written by a reporter.

Straight news

A plain account of news facts written in standard style and structure without coluring or embellishments.

Stringer

A correspondent for a newspaper or a news agency, usually part time, who often covers a certain subject or geographic area. The person is usually paid according to the number or length of stories printed by the newspaper.

Style Book

A compilation of typographical and other rules formulated by a newspaper to make uniform its treatment of spelling, capitalization, abbreviations, punctuation, typography, etc. Most newspapers provide style books for their staff’s use.

Subhead

Small, one-line headline inserted in the body of a story to break up the monotony of a solid column of small type.

Syndicate

An organization that buys and sells feature material of all kinds, such as comic strips, gossip columns, crossword puzzles, etc.

Tabloid

A newspaper of small page size, usually 11 inches wide and 16 to 18 inches deep.

Tearsheet

A full page of the paper, including the folio, that has been clipped out and sent to an advertiser as proof that his or her ad has appeared.

Text

The verbatim report of a speech or public statement.

Think Piece

A background or opinion article.

Thumbnail

A half-column picture.

Tie-back

The part of the story that ties it back to something that has already been published. A tie-in is used to connect a story with some other, perhaps more important, story.

Tight

Generally, too full; applies to crowded lines of type, pages, sections, entire editions. A tight paper is one without much room for additional news or advertising.

Tip

Information that may lead to a story.

Tombstone

To place two or more headlines of similar size side by side. Eyes tend to read across from one head into the next.

Trim

To reduce the length of a story; same as boil.

Typo

Typographical error. A mechanical error in typing a story.

United Press International (UPI)

A worldwide news gathering service.

Uppercase

Capital letters.

Up style

Editing style calling for extensive use of capital letters; opposite of downstyle.

Video display terminal

A computer screen.

VCCP or VCP

Verified Circulation Controlled and Verified Circulation Paid, a Canadian organization that complies statistics or circulation.

Want ads

Classified advertisements.

Widow

A single word or a short line of type at the end of a paragraph, particularly at the top or bottom of a column or page.

Wire Copy

Editorial matter supplied by outside sources, especially that transmitted by telegraph or teletype from news services.

Wire Photo

The Associated Press Service that transmits photographs, maps or other illustrations. The illustration is then reproduced electronically in the newsrooms of subscribing newspapers.

Wire Service

A news collection and transmission service. News services include:

-CP – Canadian Press news service.

-CNT-CPT - Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Telegraph, for transmission of correspondence stories

-Reuters – World service based in United Kingdom

-AFP- Agence France Presse – World Services based in France.

-AP- Associated Press – World Services based in U.S.

Yellow Journalism

Sensational Journalism.