Universal Journalist

4th edition

David Randall

This is a new edition of the world’s leading textbook on journalism. Translated into more than a dozen languages, David Randall’s handbook is an invaluable guide to the ‘universals’ of good journalistic practice for professional and trainee journalists worldwide.

Irrespective of language or culture, good journalists share a common commitment to the search for truth, often in difficult circumstances. David Randall emphasises that good journalism isn’t just about universal objectives: it must also involve the acquisition of a range of skills that will empower journalists to operate in an industry where ownership, technology and information are constantly changing. This acclaimed handbook challenges old attitudes, procedures and techniques of journalism where they are seen as cynical and sloppy.

Contents

• Acknowledgements
• Preface
1. What Makes A Good Reporter?
2. The Limitations of Journalism
3. What Is News?
4. Where Do Good Stories Come From?
5. Research
6. Handling Sources, Not Them Handling You
7. Questioning
8. Reporting Numbers and Statistics
9. Investigative Reporting
10. How To Cover Major Incidents
11. Mistakes, Corrections and Hoaxes
12. Ethics
13. Writing for Newspapers
14. Intros
15. Construction and Description
16. Handling Quotes
17. Different Ways To Tell A Story
18. Comment, Intentional and Otherwise
19. How To Be A Great Reporter
• Reading for Journalists
• Index

About the Author

David Randall is a British journalist who has written for four national newspapers, news editing three of them. He is now news executive and senior writer at the Independent on Sunday, covering major national and international stories. He has lectured in journalism all over the world, and writes a column for Internazionale in Italy.