ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the logistics of funneling countless news items into a manageable daily newscast, thus deciphering the how of creating the news. The mechanics of locating news is fairly straightforward: Websites may be bookmarked, sources and their phone numbers may be placed on speed-dial, and a tally of upcoming events may be logged on the calendar. The term wires are used to describe the services offered by news gathering organizations such as the Associated Press or the British firm Reuters. Reporters will build a stable of local experts who can deliver a quality interview on a number of subjects. Assignment editors run the assignment desk, which is the central hub of the newsroom. The assignment desk is filled with three types of story. The first category is spontaneous news. The second type of news consists of planned stories. The third category of stories is the enterprised report.
