Glossary of terms: Journalism

When news breaks on a beat and is reported by a correspondent, do you, as the reader, really know what that means?

Probably not, and you’re not alone.

Members of the public are unfamiliar with journalism terms, including those common in opinion sections, according to a 2018 survey by the American Press Institute.

“Fully half of the U.S. public is unfamiliar with the term ‘op-ed,’ and nearly three in 10 said they were unfamiliar with the difference between an editorial and news story (27 percent) or a reporter and columnist (28 percent),” wrote Kevin Loker, API’s Director of Program Operations and Partnerships.

It’s up to those of us inside the industry to not just label content that appears in print, online or on TV, but take time to explain what those labels actually mean.

Want to learn more of the lingo? Check out the handy guide produced by the Wall Street Journal and shared on the . Click on the link here, https://newsliteracymatters.commons.gc.cuny.edu/files/2019/09/Online-terminology.pdf, or on the image below.

— Prof. Nicole Vargas