News organizations gather information with teams of reporters and editors. But they also use outside sources including wire services, or news agencies, to provide information.
These news agencies have their own teams of reporters, videographers, editors and producers who cover breaking news, politics, business, sports, entertainment, culture and more. They have investigative teams that frequently break important stories.
The Associated Press, a not-for-profit news cooperative, has teams in 100 countries and provides content to more than 1500 news outlets. Those news outlets contribute to the cost of news gathering and can use the material that the AP provides.
Reuters describes itself as the “world’s largest multi-media news-provider.” Part of the Canadian Reuters Thompson Company, traded publicly on the New York Stock Exchange, it says it serves more than a billion people every day.
Bloomberg, a privately-owned company, provides business and other news, digitally, through video, audio and on TV. It has a big business providing news to Wall Street firms and other financial companies.
News agencies headquartered in countries around the world also report and provide important information.
ABC, NBC, FOX , CNN, NPR , BBC and other broadcast groups have services to provide content including video and audio to smaller TV and radio stations around the country.
Government Agencies
Police departments, fire departments and some government agencies have public information offices that put out alerts and updates about breaking news.
The NYPD, for example, has an office called D.C.P.I., run by the Deputy Commissioner, Public Information.
During hurricanes and disasters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) put out regular bulletins including those warning people to watch out for scams and frauds.
Social Media
Increasingly, news organizations look to social media to stay up with breaking news. They monitor social media platforms and then verify information from the posts, or tweets.
Other News Outlets
Newspapers, radio stations, television news organizations and digital news companies monitor one another. If one breaks a story, others may pick it up and give credit: The New York Times , ABC News, the BBC , Al Jezeera, ESPN, etc. reports, or they may assign a reporter and try to advance the story themselves.
Reporters and editors in news organizations work as a team, but they also compete with each other and other organizations to get stories. Sources provide an important stream of information that reporters and editors verify and expand.
Public Relations and Communications Directors
Public relations firms representing companies and clients, communications and p.r. people from companies, sports teams, not-for-profits and every type of organization you can imagine contact news organizations and individual reporters to push stories.
Reporters and editors often pick up these stories, verify and expand them.
News organizations and reporters often reach out to p.r. people to provide an expert who can help flesh out a story. They also use public relations representatives to help get access to government buildings, hospitals, sports arenas and private spaces.
News Sources
- People we talk to every day.
- Family and friends.
- The crossing guard on the corner.
- Reporters get assigned to beats — the police, the courts, city hall, the White House, the arts, celebrities, fashion, food, movies, books, business.
- Reporters develop sources and the best reporters get information from those sources regularly.
- Reporters get access. Access to a crime scene, a fire, politicians, a mayor, a closed meeting with a group of people making a big decision, athletes, a sports team, celebrities and more.
Good Reporters, Editors and Producers Always:
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