Planning a News Feature

A news feature is a more in-depth story than the quick, bulletin-style news stories normally carried on radio or TV. It can include interviews, pictures, sound and video and may explore a more subjective topic. A good news feature will entertain as well as inform and should be memorable for its reporting, craft, creativity and economy of expression.

In a longer news feature, the news angle often reappears at the end to wrap the whole segment or program together and bring it full circle. This is a good time to remind listeners or viewers what the story was about and how it is relevant in the present day.

Your audience should be top of mind from the start of planning your news feature and all the way through to production. Keep them interested and inspired to want to tune in, to listen to the whole thing and to remember it – to talk about it, even.

You should have a treatment (similar to the script for a movie) to guide you in gathering the pieces of your news feature together and editing them into a finished product. As in movie making, the treatment often develops as you discover new facts, people, talent, music etc while working on your news feature.

Depending on the nature of your topic, you may need to plan for travel, access and recording problems. For example, if you are planning to interview military personnel and use audio from a base that is normally off-limits to journalists, you will need to make arrangements in advance with your station or organisation for permissions.

How Do Presidential Debates Work?

When a Democratic senator from California, Kamala Harris, beat Republican Donald Trump in a debate on Wednesday night, it seemed like the race was finally getting some real traction. But don’t get your hopes up — presidential debates rarely change things much or in a lasting way.

Each US election cycle starts with the two major political parties, the Democrats and Republicans, setting up their teams and going on the campaign trail. They then hold a series of televised presidential debates, where they answer questions and argue their positions on issues.

The candidates also spend a lot of time traveling across the country, speaking to people and fundraising. On the campaign trail, they try to convince voters to support them — and make sure that voters know what their rivals stand for.

The presidential candidate that receives the most votes on Election Day becomes president. However, the final decision is made by a group of electors, who are chosen in each state. They gather in December and cast their votes for one president and vice president. The candidate who receives the most electoral votes becomes president.

The electoral college system can be confusing and controversial, because it means that it’s possible for a person to win the popular vote but not become president. This is because the winner of each state gets a set number of electoral votes, based on its population. In addition, most states lean towards either the Democrats or the Republicans. This forces presidential candidates to focus exponentially more time and money on a few states that could go either way, called swing states.

What Is Front-Page News?

The first page of a newspaper, magazine or other publication; front matter.

If you’re going to be front-page news, you’d rather it was for five wickets or a century.
The article on the front-page of yesterday’s paper contained some truly outrageous allegations.
If an article or picture appears on the front page of a newspaper, it is of major importance and interesting.
The front page of a newspaper usually contains the biggest news stories from the country in which it is circulated, but if something really significant happens somewhere else in the world, that might find space on the front page too. The front page will often tease other stories inside the edition too.

The noun front-page is also used of a website. For example, Reddit calls itself the front page of the Internet.

The Unemployment Rate

An important economic indicator, the unemployment rate measures the number of jobless people in a country’s labor force. It is a percentage of the total labor force, which includes both those who are employed and those looking for work. The government estimates its jobless numbers by conducting monthly interviews with households, referred to as the Current Population Survey (CPS). The survey asks about the industry and occupation of each person’s last job, the reason for their unemployment, and how they are looking for a new job. Data on those who are not considered part of the labor force, such as students and stay-at-home parents, is also collected.

There are six different measures of unemployment, with U-3 being the most commonly reported. However, the most useful measure may be U-6, which includes discouraged workers as well as those who want to work but can’t because of family or other responsibilities. This gives a more accurate picture of the true state of the labor market.

Unemployment rates are influenced by many factors, including changes in technology and demographic shifts. For example, technological advances can make some older industries obsolete, causing companies to lay off workers. This is a form of structural unemployment, and it can occur even without explicit government intervention. A high level of unemployment can have negative consequences for individuals, families, and the economy as a whole. It can make it difficult for consumers to buy goods and services, and it can erode the skills of workers who are laid off.

What is a Special Report?

A special report is an in-depth article on a topical issue that may be of particular interest to a newspaper’s audience. Such articles could focus on investigative journalism, such as exposing wrongdoing or corrupt activities, or they could be more technical subjects that require a high level of expertise to understand. Specialized reporting can help increase a news organization’s credibility and provide valuable insight into complex subjects for readers.

The FT delivers expert analysis of the big issues impacting business and finance in compelling print, video and digital formats, trusted by the world’s business leaders.

In the case of an aircraft or a helicopter, a special report shall be sent as soon as possible to the units providing approach control service, without waiting for the next routine report or forecast. The special report must include a description of the event and the aircraft or helicopter, and a statement of the cause of the failure or loss of service.

The special report shall also contain a detailed description of the measures taken to restore normal operation and the timescale for completing those measures. The special report should also be prepared with reference to the latest available information, including any relevant published reports or advice from a regulatory authority. If the special report is an internal audit report (see AT section 201, Agreed-Upon Procedures Engagements), it should be clearly identified as such and should contain a description of the relevant procedures undertaken by the auditor.

The Risk of a Government Shutdown

Congressional budgets expire and, on occasion, when Congress is unable to approve a new one before that happens, some of the government shuts down. That’s bad for taxpayers, who aren’t getting tax refunds or loan applications processed; federal employees who go without pay (although those deemed “essential” work during shutdowns continue to be paid when the appropriations bills that fund them become available); and the people whose lives and businesses depend on federal services like food safety inspections, air traffic control, and museums and national parks.

It’s also bad for the economy. The last three shutdowns cost the country about $11 billion, and the Congressional Budget Office estimates that each additional day of a shutdown reduces GDP by 0.1%.

Unfortunately, the risk of a shutdown is real and grows more likely as both parties dig in on their funding fights. A shutdown would mean a halt to the processing of passports and small business loans, closure of museums and national parks, delayed flights to and from LaGuardia Airport, and other inconveniences that affect Americans. Moreover, it gives President Trump and his budget director, Russell Vought, substantial leeway to determine which government services can be kept up during a shutdown and which must be sidelined — decisions that could be used as bargaining chips in the political battle. The OMB website posts detailed plans that departments and agencies must develop in the event of a shutdown. These plans detail which functions must cease, which services can continue, and which employees must stay on the job but not receive payment until appropriations are passed.

What Is an Economic Forecast?

A forecast is an estimate of future economic activity or trends. A well-known type of economic forecast is the one of gross national product (GNP), which is the overall measure of economic welfare in a nation. A number of other forecasts are also produced for specific industries or for specific time periods. For example, a company that produces automobiles and related goods might produce its own forecast of sales of such goods for the next year or so.

A variety of methods are used in preparing economic forecasts, including econometric models that use historical data inputs to predict future variables. Forecasts are typically reported in reports that contain information graphics and commentary to help the reader understand the predictions.

Various studies have attempted to improve the accuracy of economic forecasts. These studies have included everything from determining the historical relationships between economic variables to forecasting using a computer, such as an artificial intelligence system. Some of these studies have involved incorporating information about human behavior into the forecasting process.

Some of the most useful economic forecasts are based on judgment rather than statistical models. For instance, when predicting the economic effects of some unusual current event, an analyst may decide that an ordinary statistical model will not provide the best result. Such decisions often require considerable experience or intuition on the part of the economist. The challenging nature of the task, as well as the subjectivity of human behavioral factors, often leads many rational people to regard economic forecasts made by governments with healthy doses of skepticism.

What is a State of Emergency?

The state of emergency is one of the most serious powers a government can exercise, and it allows the president to make regulations that infringe on many of the rights that citizens normally enjoy. There are typically conditions required for a state of emergency to be called and limitations on how long the state can last (although these can sometimes be circumvented by certain governments), and it is usually considered a very dangerous power to have.

A state of emergency gives the government the ability to impose travel restrictions, ration supplies like water and food, commandeer or take control of infrastructure, restrict public assemblies, prohibit protests, suppress secrecy of correspondence, suppress freedom of assembly and impose other restrictions that would be unfeasible under ordinary circumstances. This state of emergency can also be escalated into a “state of siege” which reduces civil liberties even further and allows the president to search without warrants or consent, suspend the constitution and electoral laws, and remove elected officials from office.

The Governor’s declaration of a state of emergency does not mandate administrative policies for individual businesses or address workplace situations where employees are unable to travel, so they will need to determine the best way to continue to function during this time. In addition, schools must also work with their district and MEMA to decide on school closures, delayed openings and cancellations, and the designation of essential employees.

How to Use Editorial in a Marketing Strategy

Editorial is content that shares a point of view on a topic without promoting products or services. This type of content is often found in news sites and traditional publications. It also can be used in a marketing strategy to help inform and engage an audience with valuable insights.

A good editorial should state a point of view in a clear way and present a solution to a problem. It can also criticize or praise someone or something. The goal of a critical editorial is to call attention to flaws in a decision or action, while a praising editorial seeks to commend the person, idea or situation.

The goal of an editorial should be to persuade readers that your viewpoint matters. You can do this by providing facts and evidence that support your argument. You should also acknowledge common counter arguments, which will make your editorial more interesting and persuasive.

When using editorial in a marketing strategy, it is important to consider your audience and what type of content will be most effective in meeting your goals. For example, thought-leadership articles have been shown to drive engagement on a company blog and provide an opportunity to generate leads. You may also want to leverage editorial content in email newsletters or as the subject matter for live events.

Whether you develop your own editorial pieces or license them from leading publications, the best editorial content is written with an eye toward engaging and educating your audience. This type of content helps position your business as a knowledgeable and authoritative entity that can be trusted to provide solutions.

How News Coverage Affects Your Business

News coverage is the way that media outlets report on and present events, often in relation to their accuracy, context, and impact on public perception. News coverage can play a powerful role in holding governments accountable, reaching the masses with important information, and opening people’s eyes to new perspectives.

For example, during the civil rights movements, television news coverage brought the realities of racial injustice into living rooms across America. This helped shift public opinion and garnered support for civil rights initiatives.

But it’s not all good news. Some studies have found that news coverage is often out of step with actual economic trends, and that consistent negativity can lead to a negative perception of the economy. This is called priming, and it has been linked to a variety of mental health problems.

Moreover, some studies have found that people who consume the most news tend to experience more stress and depression than those who don’t. This may be a result of overexposure to anxiety-provoking content, or a feeling that their interests are not being represented in the media.

When it comes to media coverage, the best way to approach an outlet is to find out who your contact person is and send a direct message. It’s also important to know when to reach out – for example, don’t call during their news time or in the afternoon when they are already working on deadline. Finally, never turn down the opportunity for media coverage – as a former reporter myself, I was always surprised when businesses would turn down the chance to be featured on TV or radio!