Scoop (term)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Scoop is an informal term used in journalism. The word connotes originality, importance (and/or excitement) and exclusivity. A scoop is typically a new story, or a new aspect to an existing or unfolding story. Stories likely considered to be scoops are also important news, likely to interest or concerning many people. Along this line of thinking, reporting a scoop is perhaps likely to raise the notarity of the journalist in question. Because scoops are typically new stories, the journalist making the scoop is likely to be the first one doing so. Therefore, scoops tend to be exclusives for the journalist making them. However important or original a story is, if it is distributed by many sources it is not generally considered a scoop for any of the journalists participating. Examples of such stories may include natural disasters, proceedings of press confrernces, or scientific breakthroughs. On the other hand, exclusive news content is not always a scoop, as it may not provide the requisite imporance or excitement. An example of this may be interviews with local people about local events.
Scoop in this context may also be a verb. To scoop another journalist is to acquire a scoop-like story before the other, typically by initiative. So, to make a scoop also implies that the journalist in question is hard-working and professional.
The word scoop is of American origin, first referenced in 1874.[1]
[edit] Stories likely to be considered scoops
- Scandals - because of their secret nature they are a prime source of scoops - e.g. the Watergate scandal by Washington Post journalists Woodward and Bernstein
- Crime in general, involving high profile individuals, notably Political corruption
[edit] Sources of scoops
- Investigative journalism is a prime source of scoops because they reveal new information about important topics: typically corruption, crime and scandal
- Interviews with people that reveal new information about well known events, e.g. actual participants, retrospective interviews with politicians, celebrities, etc
