A newsroom is the central place where
journalist
A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism.
Roles
Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...
s—reporters,
editors, and
producers, associate producers, news anchors, news designers, photojournalists, videojournalists, associate editor, residence editor, visual text editor, Desk Head,
stringers along with other staffers—work to gather
news
News is information about current events. This may be provided through many different Media (communication), media: word of mouth, printing, Mail, postal systems, broadcasting, Telecommunications, electronic communication, or through the te ...
to be
published
Publishing is the activities of making information, literature, music, software, and other content, physical or digital, available to the public for sale or free of charge. Traditionally, the term publishing refers to the creation and distribu ...
in a
newspaper
A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...
, an
online newspaper
An online newspaper (or electronic news or electronic news publication) is the electronic publishing, online version of a newspaper, either as a stand-alone publication or as the online version of a printed periodical literature, periodical.
Goin ...
or
magazine
A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...
, or broadcast on
radio
Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...
,
television
Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
, or
cable
Cable may refer to:
Mechanical
* Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof
* Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...
. Some
journalism
Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the journ ...
organizations refer to the newsroom as the city room.
Print publication newsrooms

In a print publication's newsroom, reporters sit at desks, gather
information
Information is an Abstraction, abstract concept that refers to something which has the power Communication, to inform. At the most fundamental level, it pertains to the Interpretation (philosophy), interpretation (perhaps Interpretation (log ...
, and write articles or
stories, in the past on
typewriters
A typewriter is a Machine, mechanical or electromechanical machine for typing characters. Typically, a typewriter has an array of Button (control), keys, and each one causes a different single character to be produced on paper by striking an i ...
, in the 1970s sometimes on specialized
terminals, then after the early 1980s on
personal computers
A personal computer, commonly referred to as PC or computer, is a computer designed for individual use. It is typically used for tasks such as Word processor, word processing, web browser, internet browsing, email, multimedia playback, and PC ...
or
workstations. These stories are submitted to editors, who usually sit together at one large desk, where the stories are reviewed and possibly rewritten. Reporters generally used the
inverted pyramid method for writing their stories, although some journalistic writing used other methods; some of the work of
Tom Wolfe
Thomas Kennerly Wolfe Jr. (March 2, 1930 – May 14, 2018)Some sources say 1931; ''The New York Times'' and Reuters both initially reported 1931 in their obituaries before changing to 1930. See and was an American author and journalist widely ...
is an example of reporting that did not follow that style.
Once finished, editors write a
headline
The headline is the text indicating the content or nature of the article below it, typically by providing a form of brief summary of its contents.
The large type ''front page headline'' did not come into use until the late 19th century when incre ...
for the story and begin to
lay it out (see
publishing
Publishing is the activities of making information, literature, music, software, and other content, physical or digital, available to the public for sale or free of charge. Traditionally, the term publishing refers to the creation and distribu ...
) on a newspaper or magazine page. Editors also review
photographs,
maps,
charts or other
graphics
Graphics () are visual images or designs on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, screen, paper, or stone, to inform, illustrate, or entertain. In contemporary usage, it includes a pictorial representation of the data, as in design and manufa ...
to be used with a story. At many newspapers, copy editors who review stories for publication work together at what is called a
copy desk, supervised by a copy desk chief, night editor, or
news editor.
Assignment editors, including the
city editor, who supervise reporters' work, may or may not work with the copy desk.
How a newsroom is structured and functions depends in part on the size of the publication and when it is published, especially if it is a daily newspaper, which can either be published in the morning (an a.m. cycle) or the evening (a p.m. cycle). Most daily newspapers follow the a.m. cycle.
In almost all newspaper newsrooms, editors customarily meet daily with the chief editor to discuss which stories will be placed on the front page, section front pages, and other pages. This is commonly called a "budget meeting" because the main topic of the meeting is the budgeting or allocation of space in the next issue.
Newsrooms often have an assignment desk where staffers monitor emergency
scanners, answer
telephone
A telephone, colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that enables two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most ...
calls,
faxes and
e-mails from the public and reporters. The assignment desk is also responsible for assigning reporters to stories or deciding what is covered and what isn't. In many newsrooms, the assignment desk is raised a step or two above the rest of the newsroom, allowing staffers who work at the desk to see everyone in the newsroom.
In some newsrooms, a teamwork-integrated system called the
Maestro Concept has been applied to improve
time management
Time management is the process of planning and exercising conscious control of time spent on specific activities—especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency and productivity.
Time management involves demands relating to work, social ...
of the newsroom. This maestro system is a method to improve the presentation of stories to busy readers in today's media. Teamwork and collaboration bring a story to life from an initial idea by integrating reporting with photographs, design and
information graphics
Infographics (a clipped compound of " information" and " graphics") are graphic visual representations of information, data, or knowledge intended to present information quickly and clearly.Doug Newsom and Jim Haynes (2004). ''Public Relations ...
.
Changes in newsrooms
The modern American newsroom has gone through several changes in the last 50 years, with computers replacing typewriters and the
Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the Global network, global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a internetworking, network of networks ...
replacing
Teletype terminals. More ethnic minority groups as well as women are working as reporters and editors, including many managerial positions. Many newspapers have internet editions, and at some, reporters are required to meet tighter deadlines to have their stories posted on the newspaper website, even before the print edition is printed and circulated. However, some things haven't changed; many reporters still use paper reporter's
notebooks and the telephone to gather information, although the computer has become another essential tool for reporting.
Broadcast newsrooms
Broadcast newsrooms are very similar to newspaper newsrooms. The two major differences are that these newsrooms include small rooms to edit
video
Video is an Electronics, electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving picture, moving image, visual Media (communication), media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, whi ...
or
audio and that they also exist next to the
radio
Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...
or
television studio
A television studio, also called a television production studio, is an installation room in which video productions take place, either for the production of live television and its recording onto video tape or other media such as SSDs, or for ...
.
Broadcast newsrooms have undergone substantial transformations in recent years, influenced by the
digital revolution
The Information Age is a History by period, historical period that began in the mid-20th century. It is characterized by a rapid shift from traditional industries, as established during the Industrial Revolution, to an economy centered on info ...
and shifts in audience preferences. These changes are integral to moder
newsproduction, and they encompass the following key developments:
digital transition,
multimedia journalism, social media engagement,
live reporting, remote news production, and
data-driven journalism.
Newsroom Computer Systems (NRCS)
Newsroom Computer Systems (NRCS) are sophisticated software and hardware solutions utilized in broadcast newsrooms to streamline the news production process. These systems serve several crucial purposes, including
Content Management,
Collaboration,
Workflow Management,
Integration,
Scheduling,
Publishing
Publishing is the activities of making information, literature, music, software, and other content, physical or digital, available to the public for sale or free of charge. Traditionally, the term publishing refers to the creation and distribu ...
and
Archiving.
Newsroom Computer Systems are indispensable in modern broadcast newsrooms, enhancing the efficiency, accuracy, and speed of news production, especially in an era characterized by rapid
digital transformation and evolving audience expectations for on-demand, multimedia
news
News is information about current events. This may be provided through many different Media (communication), media: word of mouth, printing, Mail, postal systems, broadcasting, Telecommunications, electronic communication, or through the te ...
content.
Several NRCS solutions have established themselves as leaders in the market due to their advanced features, user-friendly interfaces, and comprehensive functionalities. Here are some of the prominent NRCS systems available in the market: Octopus Newsroom, TinkerList, ENPS, Dalet, Burli Newsroom, iNEWS, NewsBoss and CUEZ.
Newsrooms in popular culture
*The American newsroom has been a location of many books, movies and television shows about the newspaper and magazine business, especially movies like ''
His Girl Friday'', ''
All the President's Men'' or ''
The Paper'', and television shows like ''
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from September 19, 1970 ...
'', ''
Lou Grant'', and ''
Murphy Brown''.
*Th
newsroomof a Canadian television station is the location of the
CBC Television
CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...
comedy ''
The Newsroom''. It is also shown on some
public television
Public broadcasting (or public service broadcasting) is radio, television, and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service with a commitment to avoiding political and commercial influence. Public broadcasters receive f ...
stations in the United States.
*The 2004 film ''
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy'', is set around a newsroom.
*The American television drama series ''
The Newsroom'' is set in th
news roomof a
cable news channel.
*
Drop the Dead Donkey is a British sitcom set in a TV newsroom; it is notable in that each episode was filmed a day before broadcast, in order to incorporate references to current events.
[{{cite web, author=Andrew Dickson , url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/apr/13/how-we-made-drop-the-dead-donkey-andy-hamilton-robert-duncan , title=How we made Drop the Dead Donkey , work=The Guardian, date=13 April 2015 , access-date=3 September 2017]
References
Journalism