ABSTRACT
The number of stories a journalist writes in a day varies according to the medium in which they work, the outlet and their own seniority. Investigative reporters at metro dailies may have weeks, even months, to complete a single story, which may be splashed across page 1 and spill on to the inside pages with breakouts. As with the news-gathering stages of producing a story, writing it can involve a number of ethical decisions. Quotes (or soundbites in broadcast news) help to animate a story by allowing readers or listeners to hear the voices of the people in the news. Just as online sales sites such as eBay have created a worldwide pool of mini-merchants, so the ease of online creation and distribution of text and images has created opportunities for anyone with computer access to become a writer and publisher.
