Below are a list of some of the media terms used within the mass media industry and their

definitions.
Art:
Anything, which is not text. Graphics

Angle:
Slant approach or special aspect of a story or subject
The aspect emphasized in the story

Blurb:
Commendatory publicity release or advert
Cartooning technique
Endorsement or a positive review, often appearing on a book jacket

Break:
Time out or a pause in a rehearsal
Any scheduled or unscheduled interruption in a program rehearsal
Point at which the story becomes available for use in the publication or broadcast
To move or relocate a camera
The point at which a story moves from one page to another.

Attribution:
Naming a person in a news story who makes a statement, which may be challenged.

Banner:
Display poster supported by a card or wire; usually readable from both sides
Large headline of one or more lines extending across a full page

Beat:

Bias:
Partiality towards a story that prevents objective consideration of the issues or situation
being covered

Body copy:
Text that mainly makes up the body of the story.

Bold face:
Font that is thicker than normal used mainly for titles, sub-titles, and other items required to
catch the attention of the reader.

Boil down:
To reduce a story or article in length

By-line:
Section below the title of an article that contains the authors name and sometimes their
picture

Center spread:
 A double page spread placed in the center of the magazine/ newspaper

Clips:

Copyreader:
The editor who prepares text for publication

Cut:
Deletion in a script or program
To convert a communication process from one form to another eg. To cut a stencil or record,
groove in a transcription
To stop action
Instantaneous transition form any shot to the immediately succeeding shot which results
from splicing the two shots together
Any time the camera is turned off at the end of a scene
Photograph, illustration or diagram
To reduce the length of the story

Cropping:
Cut out parts of a picture so as to enable it fit into its designated space

Content analysis:

Censorship:
The curtailment of the major freedoms of belief, expression, movement, assembly and
access to information.

Department:
Categories of editorial matter in a magazine eg. Features, classified, letters to the editor

Direct quote:
Reporting of spoken or written word in its exact printed or spoken form.

Double page spread:

Two-page advertisement or editorial layout made up as one
Printed two facing pages
Eliminating the gutter, normal margins between two pages

Dummy:
Diagram or layout of a page showing the position of each story, head or cut
Layout indicating the position and size of art, illustrations and text, as they will appear in the
final product
Completely laid out book consisting of all the pages of the finished book

Date line:
Leading line giving the location or point of origin of a non-local news story and the date of
filing or transmissions
Opening phrase naming the source of a news story
 Dirty copy:
Denoting copy or proofs with so many changes, insertions, deletions, etc. that they are hard
to read

Edition:
Each separate run of a publication
One of several issues of a magazine or newspaper prepared during a specific publishing
period
Copies of a publication made from one setting of type and art

Exclusive:
News story had by no other reporter, correspondent, station or newspaper.

Feature:
Special story written for a publication, which goes beyond the materials normal news value
and delves into human interest
To give prominent display a story or to play up a particular angle of a story syndicated
matters such as comics, humor panels, columns, etc.

Filler:
Material prepared in advance of a program for possible use to stretch time or to fill dead
spots during broadcasts, program substitution
Short items of time copy that can be used to fill out small holes in pages

Flag:
Film, TV, Theatre; a piece of cloth or metal used to mask light from areas where it is not
wanted
Home plate or logo type appearing at the top of page one
Lead, slug, or piece of paper inserted in a column of type indicating to the printer that some
correction must be made at that point.
Allowing a story to go through.

Fold:
Cease to operate or cause to cease to operate
Bend or lay the paper so that one page of the newspaper covers the other

Format:
Style, concepts or composition of an advertising project e.g. an ad or commercial
Arrangement of program elements in an established pattern.
Size of the camera viewing area, paper or negative.
Size, style and shape of a page, section, newspaper or book

Follow-stories:

Freelance:
Independent communications professional taking individual assignments from one or more
accounts on a free basis

Gatekeeper:
 Editor who selects material for presentation and thus determines what the public is exposed
to in a publication or through electronic medium

Global village:
Definition used to denote the zero-boundaries state of the world to date due to the
introduction of certain advances in technology thus making neighbors of two individuals
thousands miles apart through the wonders of technology eg. The Internet, thus reducing the
world from cities and countries and continents, to the most basic unit of civilization, the
village.

Ghostwriter:
A person who writes a book, article, speech etc. for another and their names are not
revealed.

Gutter:
Two inner margins of facing pages of a publication

Internet:
A worldwide connection of computers that allows the individual to access and exchange data

Italics:
Slanted font used mainly for words or phrases stated by an individual or requiring emphasis

Insert:
Part of a news article later to be inserted into the body of a story already sent to the
composing room
Extra printed leaf folded and usually of different paper stock from the text
Picture inserted into another picture to strengthen an idea or show close ups.

Jump:

Kill:
To omit, leave out, turn off or cut a portion of a broadcast, speech, story, effect, picture or
character
To eliminate all or part of a story
To retract a story after it has been transmitted

Lead:
Thin strip of metal from 1 4 points in thickness and varying lengths used to provide
additional space between two lines of type
Having the lead role
Initial story in a newscast
News tip or inside information
Most important story appearing in a publication
Most important role in a production program
 Legend:
Key to a map or chart
Title lines of descriptive matter below or beside an illustration as distinguished from a caption
Credits, titles, or other info keyed or superimposed over the picture

Logo:
Company emblem of the publishing company or publication

Localize:
To stress the local features/ angles of a news story

Mass media:
Transmissions that are disseminated widely to the public in form of print or electronic media.

Magazine:
Light tight film containers that feed and take up film from the camera through slots known as
light traps. Used for large loads of film.
Various types of film holders or containers for either exposed or unexposed film
Part of an automatic type setting machine that stores the mats or matrices while not in use
Type of periodical

Make up:
Cosmetics and other items used by talent to improve or modify physical features
To wind several film reels into a single reel
To develop the layout for a printed page or another print project

Made news:

More:
Direction written at the end of a page of copy to indicate that the story does not end there
and more is coming

Mast-head:
Statement of name of publication, its ownership, place of publication, subscription values
etc. usually appearing on the editorial page in a newspaper.

Morgue:
The library, reference files or shelves containing copies of past stories, photos pertaining to
subjects and other helpful references

Mast:

Newspaper:
A daily or weekly publication containing news, articles and advertisements.
A business firm that publishes newspapers

News values:
 New media technology:

Obituary:
Biography of a dead person

Off the record remarks:

Understanding between the reporter and a news source meaning for your enlightenment but
not for attribution to the source. This understanding should be used with caution on the part
of both parties

Privilege:
Variously and continuously defined by the courts but basically the concept that the use by the
media of certain information or material in official documents, public meetings, congressional
speeches, etc. is protected from charges of libel along with truth and fair comment. Similarly
government officials are privileged to say certain things in debate over issues.

Press release:
Write up or description of a recent or current news event or story, distributed to the media by
the person or organization desiring coverage

Pagination:
Numbering of pages in a book or other publication

Policy:
A wise expedient or prudent conduct or management
A principle plan or course of action as pursued by an organization or individual, designed to
influence and determine future decisions.
Policy story: article, which reflects the newspapers stand on an issue

Pix:
Also called PIC Usually meaning a still photographic print

Play up:
Move an article or story into the foreground so as to make it more prominent

Paraphrase:
The summarizing of certain parts of a story so as to save space.

Punch:

Proof:
Inked impression of composed type or engraving taken (pulled) for inspection, correction, or
filing prior to the actual print run.

Popular culture:

Public opinion:

Propaganda:
 Usually deliberate manipulation by means of SYMBOLS (words, gestures, images, flags,
monuments, music, etc.) of other peoples thoughts, behaviors, attitudes and beliefs.

Radical press:

Rewrite:
Write a story over to improve it or change its angle
To write a story from facts given by another reporter
To revise a story already carried in another medium
To revise any text thoroughly

Realism:

Round up:
Condensed broadcast containing news summaries, as opposed to in-depth coverage
News program or article prepared by using a variety of sources.

Running story:
Sectional story
Serialized program format eg. Soaps
Story that develops over a period of days/ long period.
Serialize:

Slant:
Emphasis on a certain aspect of a story
Writing a story from a slanted point of view results in lack of objectivity due to manipulation of
facts.

Strength of news:

Stret:

Stringer:
Unsalaried reporter or photographer, not regularly assigned to a news organization who acts
as local contact on an irregular basis and who initiates strong ideas and does photographing
and/or reporting. Stringers work on retainers, word rates, negotiated articles rates, or a
combination of these methods of pay

Sizing/scaling:
Treatment of paper to resist penetration by writing or printing ink.

Stop press:

Stylebook:
Manual establishing standards and guidelines for preparing and presenting copy, spelling,
capitalization, abbreviations, word usage

Trim:
To dress a set
 Materials used to dress a set
Maximum width of finished work produced by a particular machine outside of the page as
distinguished from the type page edge called trim or trim edge because a press sheet when
printed extends about 1/8 beyond the edge of the finished page and is then trimmed for
binding.

Take:
Performers reaction of surprise or realization often through body language
Sheet of news copy
Same as shot portion of the shot being used in the final product
Portion or length of video tape or film usually containing a similar shot
All the pictures done for an assignment
Short length of copy not the complete story itself. A running or sectional story usually goes to
the composing room in takes of one page.
Directors instruction to cut, move or switch instantaneously from one camera or video source
to another

Typo:
Typographical error

Whammy:

Window:

Words not found:

Beat
Clips
Content analysis
Follow stories
Jump
Mast
Made News
New media technology
News values
Popular culture
Public opinion
Punch
Radical press
Realism
Serialize
Strength of news
Stret
Whammy
Window
 DAYSTAR UNIVERSITY

ATHI RIVER CAMPUS

A Group paper in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the

course
COM 241
(Introduction to Print Media)

Media Terms

Presented To: Mr. D. Orondo

Group Members: Uche Okoronkwo 03-0209

Jonathan Opinya 03-0961
Ruth Rimbui 04-1086