Test your basic knowledge |

Journalism Vocab

Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. The caption that accompanies a newspaper or magazine photograph.






2. Lines used to separate one story from another on a newspaper page






3. Stories clipped from your own or other newspapers.






4. A secondary story intended to be run with a major story on the same topic.






5. The process of preparing page drawings to indicate where stories and pictures are to be placed in the newspaper.






6. A worldwide news-gathering cooperative owned by its subscribers.






7. Usually means 'don't quote me.'






8. A newspaper story beginning that uses humor or an interesting incident.






9. A beginning reporter.






10. A column of copy and/or graphics which appears on the page of a magazine or newspaper to communicate information about the story or contents of the paper






11. Newsroom library






12. The opening paragraph of a story in which the 'who' is reported by name.






13. Damage to a person's reputation caused by a false written statement that brings the person into hatred contempt or ridicule or injures his or her business or occupation.






14. Headline across or near the top of all or most of a newspaper page. Also called a line ribbon streamer screamer






15. Believability of a writer or publication






16. To keep abreast of significant developments on a beat or to report on a specfic event.






17. Line of type at the bottom of a column which directs the reader to somewhere else in the paper where the story is completed allowing more space for stories to begin on the front page






18. A reporter's assigned area of responsibility. It may be an institution a geographical area or a subject such as science.






19. To inject the reporter's or the newspaper's opinion into a news story or headline.






20. Particular emphasis of a media presentation sometimes called a slant






21. The organization of a news story in which information is arranged in descending order of importance.






22. People or records from which a reporter gets information.






23. The term most journalists use for a newspaper article.






24. The 'banner' across the front page which identifies the newspaper and the date of publication






25. The main article on the front page of a newspaper or the cover story in a magazine






26. A story supplying further information about an item that has already been published.






27. Reporting that ignores or treats lightly negative news about friends of a reporter.






28. Legislation giving journalists the right to protect the identity of sources.






29. Similar to libel but spoken instead of published






30. Any written material intended for publication including advertising - What reporters write. A story is a piece of copy.






31. Information that is not intended for publication






32. A writer's development of distinctive characteristics and idiosyncrasies of language use that make his or her writing as easily recognizable as the inflections tone and pronunciation of speech that make a person's vocalized speech pat terns distinc






33. Story that requires a great amount of research and hard work to come up with facts that might be hidden buried or obscured by people who have a vested interest in keeping those facts from being published






34. Shaded areas of copy in a newspaper






35. Story a reporter has obtained to the exclusion of the competition.






36. A person who talks to a reporter on the record for attribution in a news story






37. Short related story added to the end of a longer one






38. Continuation of a story from one page to another






39. A smaller headline which comes between the headline and the story






40. The department responsible for distribution of the newspaper.






41. Publicity story or a story that contains unwarranted superlatives.






42. Statutes under which an individual or a group can take action against another group or individual.






43. Services that provide news from around the world to publications that subscribe for a fee (e.g. Associated Press Canadian Press Reuters and United Press International)






44. A typewritten page of copy following the first page.






45. Any overly obscure technical or bureaucratic words that would not be used in everyday language






46. Abbreviation for paragraph






47. Stories that are interesting but less important than hard news - focusing on people as well as facts and information and including interviews reviews articles and editorials






48. The major story on top of page one.






49. Credit given to who said what or the source of facts






50. Using the work of another person (both written words and intellectual property) and calling that work your own